By Caitlin McGarry   Thu, Jul 09, 2009

SIN CITY has a plethora of cultural offerings for the tourists who flock to its neon glow. From Broadway shows and Art galleries to world-renowned restaurants and stunning architecture, the Strip is thought of as the singular reason why Las Vegas is considered to be the Entertainment Capital of the World.

But beyond the neon is a subculture largely unseen by outsiders, lying in wait for those who seek the city’s heart. Bars, boutiques, concert venues, fine dining establishments and spaces for art abound off the Strip, and they’re geared toward Las Vegas residents.

Mayor Oscar Goodman’s Downtown redevelopment project, previously called Union Park and now re-named Symphony Park, will push the boundaries of Las Vegas culture. The project’s anchor, the Smith Center for the Performing Arts, is expected to transform the way the world views Las Vegas—stretching outsiders’ Strip-centric view into one that recognizes Las Vegas in its entirety as an important cultural center.

In the Beginning
Las Vegas has grown by leaps and bounds since casinos were built in the barren valley. A city with ever-changing population demographics and a short memory, Las Vegas’ cultural image is one of continuous transformation. With constant evolution came an inability for the city to plant strong historical and cultural roots.

Jeffrey Koep, dean of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas’ College of Fine Arts, moved to Las Vegas in 1989. He has seen the city re-imagine itself over and over again, and is also able to pinpoint the differences between Las Vegas and other cities with cultural significance.

“Twenty years ago, although we were the entertainment capital of the world in ’89, we did not have the base of people who actually lived here to support such things as professional theater,” Koep said. “If you draw a circle around Las Vegas, you don’t have a lot of cities. You’re almost in competition with Los Angeles. L.A. people come here because of the Strip, not necessarily because of the cultural offerings, because they have those in L.A.”

Though Las Vegas still lacks surrounding metropolises to draw from, its population base has exploded in the last 20 years. According to census reports, the Las Vegas metropolitan area grew from 852,737 residents in 1990 to 1,836,333 in 2007. The explosion of growth has contributed to the expansion of cultural offerings in recent years, both on the Strip and off.

“I moved here from New York City, had an aisle seat at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, had a career in the arts,” said Smith Center President Myron Martin. “I think it’s fair to say at that point in time, Las Vegas didn’t have the same things to offer as New York City did in terms of arts and culture. Las Vegas was still a small and growing town. I have seen Las Vegas grow tremendously. We still have room to grow. We have a long way to go before we’re on par with New York or Chicago. That’s one of the reasons why the Smith Center is so important to us, by providing a cultural infrastructure for our community, for Southern Nevada.”

A Tale of Two Cities
As the population of Las Vegas grew, so too did its reputation as a tourist destination. For many years, it seemed as if the city and its residents were focused entirely on the Strip as a source of both income and entertainment. Now Las Vegas’ off-Strip cultural underground is becoming more of a visible alternative, at least to those who live and work here.

“Non-natives and tourists look at Las Vegas culture as what we’re presenting on the Strip, which, frankly, when you’re looking at it, isn’t too bad,” Koep said. “A lot of the shows and things we have on the Strip and performers we bring in would be headliners in their own right in other cities. Sometimes we take for granted what we bring to the Strip, not realizing that those people are brought to other cities just as guests. I don’t think that oftentimes what we present culturally beyond what’s on the Strip is as known to people from out of town because they’re not coming for that. We’re not seen as a destination beyond what’s on the Strip.

“In Las Vegas, there’s a certain group or audience that certainly understands that there are excellent cultural offerings that have been going on in this city for a number of years. Those are the people who are the patrons of primarily what we bring into UNLV in terms of the Performing Arts Center. The local people are aware of those. I think there’s another group who oftentimes sort of say, ‘There is no culture in Las Vegas.’ That group I find are people who haven’t sought it out and gone and looked for alternatives.”

Some of the Las Vegans who seek out homegrown cultural offerings are those who produce and perform Strip entertainment. Though dancers, performers, directors and other artistic visionaries produce culture for tourists in their working hours, they also support local creative efforts. Koep said he thinks the two worlds, the two cities—Las Vegas and the Strip—and the artists therein complement rather than conflict with each other.

“Several years ago, if you had gone to New York you would have been happy to see the Blue Man Group,” he said. “Now they’re here, and they’re part of Las Vegas culture and they’re doing excellent work. I think culture on the Strip, performers on the Strip, are in and of themselves the people who work on those shows. The producers are pretty supportive as being audience members to stuff outside the Strip.

“I’ve really never felt that the Strip is negative to Las Vegas or negative to the cultural growth. It’s more of a matter of Las Vegas—and I think it’s starting to do that—starting to educate the audience. Really letting people know, ‘Hey we do have this in Las Vegas. You don’t necessarily have to go to Chicago or New York to see this.’”

The Smith Center will serve as a counterpoint to tourist culture when it is completed in early 2012. Not only will it become the home of the Nevada Ballet Theatre and the Las Vegas Philharmonic, but the Smith Center will host touring productions and performers that are currently unable to find space in Las Vegas. The end result will be a cultural turning point for the world’s “adult playground.”

“People who live here have an appetite for really high quality performances of all kinds,” Martin said. “If we give them the opportunity to bring their families to a non-gaming environment in a truly world class facility unlike anything other that we have in Las Vegas today, we will have an audience.

“People who live in Las Vegas truly are thirsting for more of this very high-quality entertainment. People who live in Las Vegas want all kinds of things. Going to the Strip and eating at a great restaurant and going to see Jersey Boys is a perfect night out. For those of us who live here, we want more. We want to be able to, on a regular basis, see all kinds of things, whether it’s popular or classical, music, theater, dance. I’m absolutely convinced that there’s an audience for all of it.”

A Fork in the Road
The recent groundbreaking of the Smith Center signified a touchstone in Las Vegas history, a time when Las Vegas residents made the decision to build a future for themselves and for their successors.

Though Martin and his colleagues at the Smith Center have yet to announce a confirmed slate of performers, they are already negotiating dates with some of the nation’s most prestigious Broadway productions and legendary musicians. No longer will a touring Tony award-winning show skip Las Vegas for lack of space or interest. Martin’s goal is to build a home for both native Nevadans and outside cultural influences to converge—and hopefully a like-minded community of businesses will spring up around the center.

“The Smith Center puts us on the world stage in terms of arts and culture,” Martin said. “We’re known as the entertainment capital of the world, but when you talk about more serious types of entertainment, we’re not so much. We don’t have that type of reputation. It will be the catalyst for development in Downtown, as performing arts centers do. People want to locate businesses around performing arts centers because of the vitality they bring.

“I’ve heard people say that the Smith Center is going to be the opposite of the Strip. We’ve all experienced that thing where you want to go out to dinner at one of the restaurants and you can’t get in because it’s either totally booked or tables are being reserved for casino patrons. Sometimes, living here, you’re the secondary citizen to the tourists when it comes to some things. The Smith Center is being built clearly for those of us who live here.”

Martin also said he has spoken with some of the Strip’s most visible representatives, and all are in agreement: The Smith Center will only elevate Las Vegas’ reputation.

“If you ask someone like Jim Murren what he thinks of the Smith Center, he will tell you that he doesn’t see the Smith Center as competition, he sees the Smith Center as providing the kind of infrastructure that our community needs so he can attract the kinds of people who will run these big companies,” Martin said.             “The Smith Center is going to fill in gaps for our community in that it’s going to provide a cultural infrastructure, it’s going to provide opportunities for arts and culture that we don’t have today, and those things actually help when it comes to attracting businesses to live here.

“Having said that, will there be competition for some attractions? Tony Bennett plays in Las Vegas on a regular basis. He also performs in performing arts centers across the country. Will there be times when you see Tony Bennett here for those of us who live here and then see him six months later at a casino? Yes.”

Though the Smith Center will not open its doors for three more years, the people of Las Vegas already have high hopes for the statement the center will make to bystanders. The Smith Center will prove to the world that the city cares about its vitality and its contributions to society, both on the Strip and off.

“I think the Downtown performing arts center will make a statement to the residents of Las Vegas and be a complement to what we have going on [at UNLV],” Koep said. “In terms of people coming here, it may take some time. Eventually, people will say, ‘Wow, they have a great performing arts center Downtown; they bring in good things. This city is not only about the Strip.’ People come and they want to see three shows on the Strip and go to the Hoover Dam…and you can do all those things, but it makes you a little proud that you can take people Downtown and say, ‘Look at this. Look at this performing arts center. We are investing in the future.’”

By Caitlin McGarry   Thu, Jul 09, 2009

Nestled in the northern stretch of the Las Vegas Valley, the city of North Las Vegas provides a unique counterpoint to its sister metropolis. A growing, family-oriented town, North Las Vegas has been largely comprised of working class folks since its incorporation in 1946.

In the last decade, the city has grown by leaps and bounds, and has greatly diversified its demographics. In addition to industrial plants and stark desert scenes, there are now lushly landscaped communities and lavish resorts. With the I-15 and I-215 highways acting as veins through which residents can flow from jobs to schools to other cities, North Las Vegas is no longer the small town it once was.

Of course, like its namesake, North Las Vegas has struggled to accommodate the mass influx of people who have built their lives and livelihoods in the north. The city was one of those hit hardest by the recession when the housing market crashed in 2007, and has struggled to stay the course in the long months since.

Up and Out
Before the recession’s gloom settled over the country, North Las Vegas was a vibrant, thriving city that had drawn 212,114 people to its neighborhoods. The city developed quickly, with constant construction to keep up with the growth patterns. Nellis Air Force Base and Cannery Casino Hotel provided employment bases for the city’s residents.

Part of that expansion was due to the purchase of land from the federal government. Though North Las Vegas sits atop a large swath of desert, a majority of that land is federally owned. When the Bureau of Land Management began selling parcels in the city, growth exploded. Then there were jobs.

“I think the population growth is a function of two things: One certainly is the activity that occurs on the Strip, where you have a number of large casinos being constructed and a number of hotel rooms being added,” said North Las Vegas City Manager Gregory Rose. “People have to have a person to maintain those rooms. That’s one end of it. The other end is us trying to diversify our economy with high-tech companies bringing jobs into the community, and as a result of that, people moving here for those opportunities.”

North Las Vegas has swiftly transformed from a quiet extension of Las Vegas to a town with its own personality and own possibilities.

“There have been very positive changes for us in the standpoint that we were really attempting to change the community from what it was in the past—primarily a blue collar community—to a city that is really more attractive to everyone, blue collar and white collar as well,” Rose said. “It has added additional ties, especially with the casino out at Aliante recently, but it has made us just a more attractive community to live and to work.”

Development projects in the north have strived to bring a sense of cohesion to the city. Aliante is a master-planned community from which sprung a casino and a host of other lucrative projects. City officials hope to replicate that success with the in-progress Park Highlands community.

However, the city’s expansion has slowed since the recession began. Though North Las Vegas continues to attract young workers and first-time homebuyers, the city is hurting as much, if not more, as others around the nation are. During this painful time, city officials are looking to steer North Las Vegas in the direction of higher-paying jobs and safer communities. A new City Hall recently broke ground in what was formerly a rundown neighborhood, both to transform a blighted area and also to provide construction jobs to its residents. The project is one example of the effort North Las Vegas is making to make the future a bit brighter.

“There have been tremendous changes for the good and for the bad,” said Rose. “Certainly the rapid growth that we experienced around 2004 to 2005 was a time period that was the height of that growth, and now today seeing it on the other end of where we’re still growing but not nearly as rapidly. When you’re looking at 2004 to 2005 when our growth was around 9 percent 10 percent a year to today where it is roughly 1 or 2 percent a year—that’s a tremendous swing.

All Falls Down
When the housing bubble burst, North Las Vegas was one of the cities most impacted by the nation’s wave of foreclosures. According to a report from San Diego tracking firm DataQuick Information Systems released earlier this year, North Las Vegas saw a steep decline in home prices in 2008 over 2007, with one of its zip codes, 89030, experiencing a 73 percent drop.

“From a standpoint of the impact it has had on our finances, our revenues coming in and subsequently the services we provide, it has had a negative impact,” Rose said. “If you look at the multiplier effect, the construction industry, the sales tax that would typically be generated from the construction of new homes, as well as the people that would move here to occupy those homes… those things certainly have to do with the property taxes, and the assessed values of the homes have declined because of that.”

Rose said he largely attributes the high number of foreclosures to investors who took advantage of the affordable housing market in order to capitalize on rising home values.

“We were seen as a tremendous investment,” Rose said. “When the housing boom was occurring, a number of homes were flipped, so some people made it pretty well through that process.

“The people who came in on the tail end were not able to flip those. Then the market crashed.”

The city has taken action to fight the harmful effects that foreclosures have had on the communities of North Las Vegas. City officials are currently working to make information and resources known to homebuyers who are underwater on their payments.

North Las Vegas was also the recipient of $8.6 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

The city will disperse the funds to non-profit organizations seeking to purchase and redevelop foreclosed homes that have become blights in zip codes such as 89031, 89032 and 89081. Those zip codes have seen the highest rate of foreclosures in the city.

“As a whole, we’re focusing programs on trying to keep people in their homes and trying to provide them with information about the various federal resources that are available to them,” Rose said. “For first-time homebuyers, it’s a tremendous time to get a tax credit.”

The city recently hosted two educational forums, one each for English speakers and Spanish speakers, in order to inform residents of their options.

Ch-Ch-Changes
The future of North Las Vegas is largely dependant on economic variables. The city is home to many Strip resort employees who have been affected by downsizing and cutbacks, which has in turn impacted the city’s housing market and tax revenues.

“If the economy stays the way it is, we will likely not see rapid growth,” Rose said. “We’re so tied to the tourism market that I don’t see that changing. If the economy turns around drastically, there’s more disposable income that people will have, and Vegas becomes more attractive, not just in the amount of people coming here, but in the amount of money that people spend.”

Voters recently chose city councilwoman Shari Buck to lead the city as mayor. Buck took office July 1. During her campaign, she promised to attract more businesses to the city and said she would bring her experience as both a 10-year member of the city council and a native of North Las Vegas to the table.

“Having grown up in North Las Vegas my whole life, I’m really happy with where we are today compared with where we came from,” Buck said during a May 27 debate with mayoral candidate and fellow city council member William Robinson. “I think we’re doing pretty well. We have some tough challenges here, but I know as a city, as we work together, we can meet those challenges.”

Those challenges include the future of the city’s expansion. Park Highlands is in the early stages of development (though construction has been halted due to economic factors), and Boyd Gaming has proposed to build a casino in the neighborhood. Boyd’s application is currently before the city council.

The city of North Las Vegas has experienced a whirlwind of change in the decades since its inception, and Rose said he hopes the one impression people take away from his town is that it truly is “your community of choice.”

By Greg Jones   Thu, Jul 09, 2009

Much time has been spent talking about the early “settlers” of Nevada, of the Mormon influence and that of the incoming white folk. But long before any kind of white or European explorers even dreamed of seeing the area, there were civilizations who had already come and gone from the area.

When the first humans set foot in what is now Nevada, the area was a much different place. It was sometime after the last great Ice Age, when glaciers filled the high valleys and lower basin areas were giant lakes that froze in the winter.

The wild animals of the area are nothing like what we see today. First, hairy mammoths and caribou and other northern animals called the land home, but as temperatures climbed, animals migrated into the area from the south, including mastodons, camels and sloths, followed by predators like the short-faced bear and the saber-toothed tiger.

It is believed that sometime around this period, between 18000 B.C. and 8000 B.C., the first humans arrived. Little is known about these people, and similarly little is known about anything that happened between the time they first set foot in what is now Nevada around 1500 B.C. There is little archeological evidence of these civilizations, and what there is is difficult to translate and explain.

 The first inhabitants of the area were not familiar with agriculture or advanced weaponry. Their diet is thought to have consisted largely of seeds, roots and berries, augmented with the occasional animals that could be taken with the rather primitive hunting implements like clubs and the spear and atlatl. It is not known how these people adapted to the extinction of large mammals or the drying climate that reduced the available vegetation.

Early Civilization
Archeological evidence doesn't show much until the period of around 1500 B.C., when the first evidence of the people sometimes called the “Basket Makers” appeared. In the north, these tribes seem to be similarly ignorant of agriculture, but there is evidence that the tribes in the southern part of the state were perhaps the first in the Southwest to grow corn.

While the evidence suggests that there were little advancements made among the northern tribes, those in the south prospered. They developed the bow and arrow, which gave them a marked edge in hunting, as well as advancements in pottery that allowed them to store water and food.

Basket Makers is a name given to early Native American cultures in the Southwest, though it actually encompasses the predecessors of the Pueblo and is also more commonly referred to collectively as the Anasazi culture.

These people mingled with early Pueblo Indians who came north from what is now Arizona into the Moapa Valley. The Pueblo brought with them more advanced agricultural knowledge, including cultivation of cotton, beans and squash. They also brought more advanced methods of building houses.

Evidence of these people in Southern Nevada can still be seen today at the Lost City Museum in Overton, where a recreation of the Pueblo Grande de Nevada is maintained. At its peak, this city extended up to four or five miles and was as far as one mile wide. It consisted of farm lands and small villages scattered throughout the valley. It is not at all clear what happened with these people or why they left. Speculation ranges from an extended drought to increasing conflicts with neighboring tribes. There is evidence to support this latter theory, as the last known Pueblo settlements in the Moapa Valley, which date to sometime around A.D. 800, were on the tops of mesas and in other locations that are easier to defend.

It is believed that these Pueblos might have moved east and joined with the ancestors to the present day Hopi and Pueblo tribes in Arizona and New Mexico. But at the height of their civilization in Nevada, they cultivated a large part of the state. Archeological finds show a distribution of their pottery stretching from the eastern border toward Beatty and north through Tonopah and into the northeastern part of the state in Cobre.

After the Pueblo left the area, Nevada became home to the Paiute Indians in the north and south as well as the Shoshone in the central part of the state. There is considerable evidence that suggests that these new tribes had contact with the Pueblo before they left the region.

When the Mormon pioneers arrived in the area in the middle 1800s, both the Paiutes and Shoshone bands were demonstrated practitioners of agriculture, and they also made pottery. These were the last tribes of Nevada and they remain to this day, despite the disreputable—some might say genocidal—efforts of the U.S. government and settlers to drive them out of existence.

The Relics
While there is documentation of interaction with the Native Americans of Nevada after the Mormons arrived, much of what we know about the early tribes of the state can only be deduced and inferred from the archeological evidence they left behind.

At Lovelock Cave in Northern Nevada, basketry made at least 3,000 years ago was found in exceptional condition. In addition to baskets, matting, sandals, wooden tools and primitive clothing were all found. The cave was so dry that it preserved bodies as well, and a number of mummies were also discovered.

In Southern Nevada, artifacts and other evidence of the state's first inhabitants abound. Huge amounts of pottery vessels and other tools were found in Overton at the site of the Lost City. Dart points, clothing and a variety of other artifacts have been found scattered throughout the southern part of the state.

But perhaps the most intriguing find in the area are the petroglyphs found in places like Valley of Fire, Red Rock Canyon and throughout other mountainous areas around Clark County as well as the rest of the state.

There is no way to interpret what the petroglyphs mean or what their significance was to their creators. While some symbols can be pretty clearly distinguished—snakes, man, animals—the rest are subject to debate. Similarly, it is not really known just what group is responsible for creating these prehistoric works of art.

By Caitlin McGarry   Thu, Jul 09, 2009

Corporate executives are usually considered suits without souls by the employees who work for them, but Stratosphere President and General Manager Arthur Keith wants to set the record straight: He cares.

The hotelier-turned-gaming operator is currently cultivating a culture of compassion at his north Strip property, starting with a recent series of company rallies at which Keith expressed his hope that a humble leadership team will unite with excited workers to bring the Stratosphere into the future.

“We want a place that’s fun and energetic and entertaining on the guest side, and the same thing needs to happen on our end of the house,” Keith said. “A big piece of it is how we lead, how we as leaders act around [employees].

“We can be the ego-driven, intimidating, uncaring, business-minded, numbers-crunching leaders that you sometimes can find in these big businesses, or we can be those that manage with heart. We manage with a great deal of personal humility and professional will. Having a humble leadership is something we’re very focused on. Our employees respond to that.”

Parent company American Casino and Entertainment Properties lured Keith from the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville to head the Stratosphere in July 2008, shortly after the property was purchased from industry veteran Carl Icahn. Keith quickly realized that the Stratosphere needed a boost of energy to keep it afloat.

“The Carl Icahn era was certainly very good for this property, because it took the property out of bankruptcy and added additional rooms and brought the property to where it’s at today, but Carl reached the point where he knew he was going to sell this property, so he stopped investing in it,” Keith said. “We were capital-starved, and there were certainly things that needed to be addressed from a maintenance issue. We came and immediately started addressing those things.

“What we’ve been working on since July is making sure we have as strong a leadership team as possible, and that we develop an employee culture and a sales and marketing culture that would be a great platform to build this company on going forward.”

Keith has a wealth of experience in both hotel operations and gaming, having graduated from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and working at hotels before being hired by Station Casinos in Kansas. He further developed his knowledge of the casino industry during his time at the Venetian and the Rio. Now Keith hopes to draw on his years of experience in the Stratosphere’s next chapter.

“From a sales and marketing standpoint, this property needs to become more casino-centric, so growing our gaming base and our gaming customer base is something we’re very much focused on,” Keith said. “From a product and experience standpoint, our food and beverage programming, we’ve taken some steps…We’re going to do a lot of design work and make sure this property is as competitive as possible. We track our service scores. Our expectations are that we get better and better every year, so our service experience will grow here as well.”

As a value-oriented hotel, the Stratosphere is the perfect place for Keith to see middle-class travelers who still appreciate the spectacle of Las Vegas. He said another one of his goals for the future is to give those guests more bang for their buck—to keep them coming back for more.

“We built the hotel for Joe the gambler who’s looking to come to Las Vegas,” Keith said, laughing. “I love seeing people walk into this hotel, and you can tell they’re a first-timer to Las Vegas. Their eyes light up; they’re soaking it in. We can all take ourselves back to the first time we saw this city and were able to really experience it. We’re able to do that here for folks who are on a budget…They just really enjoy it and soak it in. I love that.”

By Frank Legato   Thu, Jul 09, 2009

Can you imagine an old man clenching his teeth and saying “Get off my lawn!” and really showcasing a menacing presence? Only Clint Eastwood can do that. Call this one “Dirty Harry on Social Security.”

Gran Torino gives Eastwood the opportunity to roll out his tough-guy shtick one more time as Walt Kowalski, an elderly Korean War veteran whose wife recently died, and who is battling all the things his world has become.

Kowalski’s kids want him to move into a rest home; his parish priest (Carley) wants him to go to Mass. All Walt wants is to be left alone to drink his beers, smoke his cigarettes and polish his most cherished possession, a 1970 Gran Torino sedan that he’s kept in mint condition.

That plot line alone, of course, would be way too calm for Eastwood’s signature character. Vietnamese immigrants move in next door and try to befriend Kowalski, who’s steeped in the bigotry of his generation. After local gangsters recruit the young son of the Vietnamese family (Vang), then have him try to steal Kowalski’s Gran Torino as an initiation rite, Kowalski gets involved in the kid’s life, becoming an unlikely mentor to the youth.

Kowalski gets the kid a job and tries to steer him away from gang life, but the local gangsters don’t give up that easy, ratcheting up the violence trying to enlist the kid.

You know what’s going to happen from here—the inevitable showdown between Eastwood’s tough guy and the ruthless band of young Vietnamese gangsters.

Without giving too much more of the plot away, suffice it to say that Gran Torino is about a flawed man fighting for what’s right, and at the same time fighting to keep his dignity in old age.

If you’re a fan of Clint Eastwood’s tough-guy pictures, you’ll love this film. Eastwood turns in a fantastic performance as the set-in-his-ways Kowalski, and he proves that even at 78, he can still kick some serious butt.

By Joe Legato   Thu, Jul 09, 2009

There’s something strange…in the gaming world. Yup, that’s right, it’s the Ghostbusters. Terminal Reality and Red Fly Studio bring fans a next-generation gaming version of one of the most popular and long-lasting franchises around with Ghostbusters: The Video Game.

The game takes place in 1991, shortly after the second film, and you play as the newest member of the Ghostbusters team. You don’t have much time to get accustomed to the job, though, as ghosts and ghouls are sprouting up all over Manhattan. You must now join the rest of the Ghostbusters as they battle their way through the city and investigate the cause of the new phenomena, encountering loads of specters along the way.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game should be a blast for fans and non-fans alike. For one thing, you get to see familiar old characters like Slimer while fighting a plethora of new spirits. You also get to choose from a few different weapons. In addition to the classic proton pack, there’s the “shock blast,” which shoots out a scattered mist of energy.

Another cool feature of this game is the selection of gadgets. Ghostbuster technology is always interesting, like a device that lets you find hidden ghosts and ectoplasm.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game tells a new story in the Ghostbusters saga while preserving the stuff that made the original films great. As a matter of fact, all four members of the original Ghostbusters cast lent their voices to the game, and a couple even helped write the script.

Who knows what’s next for the franchise? A new movie is said to be in the works, but so far, the Ghostbusters revival is only in this new game. You shouldn’t worry about running into any New York City phantoms any time soon, but if you happen to run into a 100-foot marshmallow man, you know who to call.

By Marjorie Preston   Thu, Jul 09, 2009

You’ve heard the story of Jesse James, of how he lived and died; If you’re still in need of something to read, here’s the story of Bonnie and Clyde.”

The verse was penned in 1932 by notorious gun moll Bonnie Parker, shortly before she and partner-in-crime Clyde Barrow died in a Louisiana ambush. It sums up this engrossing new biography by Jeff Guinn, who traces the duo’s ardent affair, their love of fame and the two-year crime spree that spanned the American Dust Bowl during the Depression.

Thanks to the press, which linked them to countless crimes they did not commit, Bonnie and Clyde became the stuff of outlaw legend. But unlike other gangsters of the period—Ma Barker, John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd—the Barrow Gang bumbled their way through a series of bank robberies, car thefts, shootouts and prison breaks that were almost comically inept, though they resulted in half a dozen senseless deaths.

Romanticized in the 1967 film with Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, the real small-time crooks are far more compelling than their Hollywood alter egos. Mere kids when they launched their life of crime—they were in their early 20s when they died—the luckless lovers lived on the run, slept in roadside gullies and motor courts, suffered crippling injuries on the lam, taunted the “laws” with jeering letters and photos and relished their infamy, even as it inched them closer to the bloody shootout foretold by Bonnie, who wrote in her poem that they would “go down together.” They also became folk heroes to Depression-era Americans resentful of the rich and powerful.

Through exhaustive research and interviews with surviving members of the Barrow and Parker families, as well as the lawmakers who finally brought them down, Guinn presents Bonnie and Clyde as young rebels whose fatal flaws were a fierce defiance of authority and the refusal to accept the grinding poverty that was their lot. Go Down Together is a portrait not just of Bonnie and Clyde, but of America at its most down and out.

By Robert Rossiello   Thu, Jul 09, 2009

I’s been almost five years since Green Day released an album, and the expectations have been high. In 2004, the band brought out their masterwork, American Idiot, an ambitious pop-punk concept album that captured the politically charged Bush era and became Green Day’s biggest success.

21st Century Breakdown, the band’s eighth studio album, finds the trio working in a similar mode with satisfying results. The record is divided into three acts: “Heroes and Cons,” “Charlatans and Saints” and “Horseshoes and Handgrenades,” and follows the exploits of a young modern couple, Christian and Gloria. This loose narrative line doesn’t really work—Christian and Gloria are only occasionally referenced—but most of the songs are strong and catchy and can stand on their own.

Though the album doesn’t break new ground, it does showcase the variety of musical styles Green Day has incorporated into their sound. There are some smooth, radio-friendly harmonies on the title track and “Last of the American Girls,” and “Restless Heart Syndrome.” Lead singer and songwriter Billie Armstrong taps his softer side on the ballads “Last Night on Earth” and “Before the Lobotomy.”

But it’s the angry, adrenaline-fueled anthems that are Green Day’s signature, and 21st Century Breakdown has plenty. The album’s first single, “Know Your Enemy,” has some blistering stop-and-start guitar licks. Both “Christian Inferno” and “East Jesus Nowhere” are speedy, fist-pumping rants. Influences like The Who, Elvis Costello and even John Lennon can be heard, but Green Day have successfully folded these musicians into their sound.

Armstrong’s lyrics—touching on politics, religion and mass media—don’t always make sense, but the enjoyment is in the delivery, and 21st Century Breakdown more than delivers.

By   Thu, Jul 09, 2009

Jennifer Eisenbach has been in the restaurant business since she was 18 years old, so the Michigan native is a perfect fit to be working at Lucy’s Bar and Grill at the Lucky Club Casino in North Las Vegas. She’s been at the restaurant for about a year, and during that time she’s developed relationships with a number of customers. It’s these relationships that she finds most satisfying. Interacting with people, joking around with them, feeling them out and anticipating what they want and need are valuable skills, and it’s clear by seeing her interact with the customers that these are skills Eisenbach has in spades. She knows many of her customers by name, and several of them make it a point to say goodbye to her with a hug. “I love meeting new people every day,” she said. “I like the connection. It made me cry the other day when some people I met had to go home.” There is definitely something to be said for employees who develop a genuine connection with their guests. A sincere smile and a real desire to connect is far better than a forced smile and a forced working relationship. Customers know the difference, and they tend to gravitate toward the businesses where they truly feel appreciated. This gives Lucy’s Bar and Grill a distinct advantage when Eisenbach is on the floor.

By Marjorie Preston   Thu, Jul 09, 2009

“Fitness boxing simulates an actual round in the ring. And you don’t see that many fat boxers.”

- General Manager Butch Evans, LA Boxing

Are you the type of person who likes to look good while you’re working out? Do you hit the gym in cute togs and designer sneaks, and tread the treadmill for an hour without breaking a sweat?

If you’re ready for a change of pace—and a potential big change in your shape—try fitness boxing. There’s nothing pretty or polite about it; you’ll hear grunts, groans and occasional prayers as participants try to get through the tough-as-nails sessions. And you can definitely expect to sweat.

What do you get in return? First, a sense of exhilaration—the kind of “I did it!” feeling that comes with concentrated exertion. Next, your muscles—the ones you didn’t know you had—will inform you of their presence, perhaps for the first time in years. You’ll get an energy boost, a cardio boost, and a quick reduction in stress.

Not enough for you? Stick with fitness boxing (also known as executive boxing), and you’ll probably drop pounds and inches in record time. A typical hour-long class burns 900 to 1,200 calories.

Trainer Wayne Nelson said fitness boxing, which is a non-contact routine, offers “one of the most demanding full-body workouts you can do. In addition to increasing muscle tone and reducing body fat, it improves reflexes and increases agility, endurance and coordination.”

Classes are non-stop. One moment you’ll be pounding a heavy bag, the next running laps down the hall, the next doing push-ups. Nelson uses jump ropes, speed bags and medicine balls for superior cross training that can equip you for any sport that relies on core strength, including golf, tennis, basketball and mixed martial arts.

Boxing’s effectiveness, said Nelson, stems in part from the principle of muscle confusion, a training protocol that relies on variety to prevent plateaus and ensure consistent results.

“Muscles have memory; they’ll do whatever you’ve programmed them to do. So if you only ask for five pushups, they’ll build the capacity for five pushups,” Nelson said. “You’ve got to challenge them by throwing in another component and working more quickly so the muscles really have to perform. That results in growth and increased endurance, gives you the cardio input and leads to overall fitness.”

Butch Evans of LA Boxing said the level of cardio and resistance to be found in a boxing class “simulates an actual round of boxing—and you don’t see many fat boxers.”

Though the classes are demanding, he said, “members get great weight loss results, as much as 15 to 20 pounds in a month. I have one member who went off her diabetes medication after a few months of fitness boxing, and another who totally transformed her body for her wedding. She just got back from her honeymoon, and she looks sensational.”

Do you have to be already fit to try fitness boxing? Both Evans and Nelson say no.

“You just have to pace yourself,” Evans said. “It’s just like anything else; before you ride a bike, you use training wheels. You have to crawl before you can stand, and walk before you can jog, jog before you can run.”

“You make adjustments according to your fitness level,” Nelson said. “This is not competition and involves no sparring. You’re working against your own body’s ability to perform. Whether you have a disability or other limitation, you can do it and have fun.”

The popularity of boxing as exercise has waxed and waned over the years. In the late 1990s, Billy Blanks enjoyed more than his 15 minutes of fame with Tae Bo kickboxing, but some fitness experts deemed the workouts too fast and frenzied for anyone but the super-fit, and Tae Bo took a dive.

In 2004, Hilary Swank’s Academy Award-winning performance in Million Dollar Baby reignited the trend, and today, fitness boxing is still going strong, attracting as many women as men to classes around the country.

Evans isn’t surprised by the interest. “Boxing keeps coming around is because it’s one of the best basic workouts. It’s not a craze or a fad. It’s just a good, solid basic routine that will get you strong and keep you fit.”

Still not convinced? Still prefer to climb the treadmill to nowhere? Nelson issues a challenge.

“To get results,” he said, “you’ve got to be tough. You’ve got to be in it to win, despite the struggle. With me hollering in your ear, you’ll be surprised what you can do.”

Evans promised, “Nobody’s going to hit you, and you’re going to go home with all your teeth.”

By Dave Bontempo   Thu, Jul 09, 2009

Few other cities sport the resilience of Las Vegas.

The financial bomb of Floyd Mayweather’s July 18 comeback bout against Juan Manuel Marquez being postponed because of a Mayweather rib injury resonated like a solid body shot. The city could have been figuratively doubled over by the multi-million dollar impact that suddenly won’t come from the MGM Grand Garden.

Yes, it hurts the city during this awful economy. But no, you can’t break Vegas.

Its diverse entertainment lineup includes mixed martial arts, darts and a prominent NBA link.

The NBA has become a strong fixture here and unfolds its sixth annual summer league tournament July 10-19 at the Thomas and Mack Center and Cox Pavilion. It’s a showcase for upcoming talent, a springboard for players making a final NBA push and a chance for athletes to stay in shape.

Fans can monitor the progress of specific players, like single-game point record-holders Von Wafer and Marcus Banks. Both had 42 points in the 40-minute games, a pace of more than 50 for a regulation contest.

Wafer has played the last two seasons in the Summer League. He is a young athlete who may be ready to prosper after struggling mightily. The Lakers made Wafer a second-round draft pick after his sophomore year at Florida State University in 2005. Yet the high expectations did not pan out. Like many early NBA draft participants, he labored early on.

The Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets and Trail Blazers had Wafer for brief spells before releasing him. He may have found a home in Houston, however. An injury to Tracy McGrady gave him a starring role in the second half of last season, and he performed reasonably well. Wafer averaged 20 minutes and 10 points a game, including a season-high 23 points early in 2009. He has an excellent chance to become a starting player next season. If he continues to develop, Summer League fans will know they saw Wafer while he was still battling his way up the line.

Banks, meanwhile, is a local product. Born in Las Vegas, he played his final two college seasons at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and was a defensive specialist. He was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies, but has also bounced to Boston, Minnesota, Phoenix and, most recently, Toronto. For a player like Banks, the sharp eye brought by a summer league could determine whether he stays in the NBA in a given year.

Around the Horn
The Las Vegas lineup includes two Mandalay Bay events from the opposite ends of the spectrum. Darts—yes, darts—concludes its championship July 1-5. The Professional Darts Corporation event awards $250,000 in prize money. Because the event is extremely popular in England and will be televised by Sky network, matches take place in the morning.

On July 11, the UFC invades.

The 51s will also be busy. They play July 1-3 (Reno), 16-19 (Tacoma) and 20-23 (Colorado Springs) at Cashman Field, all at 7:05 p.m.

By Dave Bontempo   Thu, Jul 09, 2009

Maybe the commercial copy should read: “Got Gatorade?” instead of “Got Milk?”

As another NFL camp opens and players sweat through 100-degree heat, the liquid refreshment became the topic of a recent story told by famed kicker Garo Yepremian. Appearing at the Champs and Stars show, sponsored by Sportzbox last month in Atlantic City, Yepremian recalled the longest game in NFL history—Christmas Day, 1971—which he ended by kicking a field goal.

Yepremian’s most vivid memory of the five-and-one-half quarter, double-overtime playoff nail-biter was not the tension. Nor was it the cold.

“It was the Gatorade,” he said. “Everybody kept drinking it, but when the fourth quarter ended, we couldn’t go to the locker room because of the overtime. Then it was the double overtime and we still can’t go to the bathroom, but the guys keep drinking and drinking the Gatorade.  Now they have to go the bathroom and they can’t.  You see the pain on their faces. Guys start squirming and crossing their legs, but the game keeps going for a record amount of time. Now they finally have to give in, you know (soil their jerseys). We’re wearing the light-colored uniforms too, so it shows up. When you look at the tape of that game in overtime, you’ll see a lot of missed tackles. Many players didn’t even bother tackling the guy who had with the ball.”

Yepremian, who endured 10 back surgeries, joins the list of former players not happy with the pension system. He depicted the NFL’s frugality in his day with a grin.

“You see kickers warming up into a net when an important kick is on the line,” he said. “I asked coach Don Shula to try to get me one. He refused. Why? Because it cost $68.”

By Marjorie Preston   Thu, Jul 09, 2009

Most people think of dandelions as relentless lawn invaders to be weed-whacked into oblivion. But dandelion greens are edible and contain an alphabet of vitamins, including A, K, C, D and B. With more beta-carotene than carrots, more calcium and iron than spinach, and lots of potassium and riboflavin, dandelions made the perfect summer soup, salad, or wine. For recipes, visit www.mountain-breeze.com.

By Caitlin McGarry   Thu, Jul 09, 2009

More than one year and 500 performances after opening at the Palazzo, Jersey Boys has proved that Las Vegas audiences appreciate Broadway-style entertainment—or that they at least love the Four Seasons.

Jersey Boys is part musical, part behind-the-scenes expose of life as a member of the Four Seasons in the 1960s. Actor Jeff Leibow plays bassist Nick Massi, who joined New Jersey singers Frankie Valli (played by Rick Faugno), Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen) and Tommy DeVito (Deven May) to form one of the most famous quartets in pop music.

The musical’s storyline follows the four singers as they struggle to find fame, and also depicts what happens after the group rises to stardom. Along the way, Leibow, Faugno, Bergen and May sing the Four Seasons songbook, from “Sherry” to “Who Loves You.”

Leibow recently spoke to Casino Connection about the show’s success—and its memorable soundtrack.

Jersey Boys plays every night but Wednesday at the Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino. Tickets are $62.70, $95.70, $139.70 and $199.73.

Casino Connection: How did you land the role of Nick Massi?

Jeff Leibow: I was about to move to New York with my wife. When I got home from our expedition trip to introduce her to the city, a friend of mine told me they were auditioning people for Jersey Boys, and that there was a Las Vegas and Los Angeles audition coming up.

We decided to see the show, did the research, called the casting director, and I got an audition in Las Vegas. From there, things happened the way they rarely do in theater: Everything lined up. I had a great audition and a great call-back in Las Vegas. The director wanted to see me in Los Angeles. After that audition, I sent a quick e-mail to the casting director. She called me back, and I went to New York for an audition a few months later. Two and a half months, three cities and six auditions later, I had the part.

You’re playing a character that is not only based on the life of a real person, but a character that has also been played by many other actors. Do you compare your performance to the original Nick Massi, or to those other actors?

When I was coming up with what to do, I had a couple of thoughts in my head because I’d seen the show a couple of times. When I saw the show just before the audition, that actor played the character differently than what I had in my head.

I got all the interview footage and concert footage of Nick Massi I could find. Whenever we had an opportunity to talk to Frankie, Bob and Tommy, we would ask them questions. I have yet to sit down and speak with Tommy about Nick. For the most part, I was doing the work on my own. I didn’t have the chance to see what [other actors] were doing differently.

The guy who was playing it [in New York] is no longer with the show, but he played it very differently than me. I think I add a little bit more humor in the role than he did. Part of that comes from the direction and part of that comes from the footage of Nick Massi. He always had a smile on his face.

Nick Massi died in 2000, well before Jersey Boys took to the stage. Do you feel in a sense that you are preserving his legacy?

A little bit. The difficult thing about it is that I didn’t get to meet him. Taking on that kind of responsibility is probably more difficult now than if I did get to meet him. I don’t know how to portray him. There is not a lot of information about him or people who want to talk about their relationship with him, except for Frankie.

But not having met him, I feel I have the freedom to throw in what I think I should put in the show. Tommy said I was doing a great job portraying Nick.

Erich and Deven had quite a bit of time to talk to [Bob and Tommy] about their life and the show, information that they might need to play them on the stage. They had the chance to do a character study, how they move, how they walk, how they speak. Rick Faugno had plenty of time to sit down and talk to Frankie, and has been able to give him a call and ask him questions.

What was the training process like to replicate the singing style of the Four Seasons?

Just learning all the songs in the show was the first step. There’s an enormous number of songs in the show, especially for a musical. Normally in a musical you might have 20 fully realized songs. There’s over 30 in Jersey Boys.

After learning the songs, they broke us apart, pulled the four of us away from the rest of the cast and forced us into a small semi-circle so we could really hear each other. We only rehearsed for just a few weeks in New York. We didn’t have much time, so they tried to really focus us in on how we sound as a group and mimic the Four Seasons as much as possible.

A lot of it comes from theater magic. The real Four Seasons would double the voices and, in Frankie’s case, sometimes triple the voices. To mimic the voices we have people sing the parts underneath us to mimic that sound. Bob Gaudio wanted that. To match the Four Seasons sound, we have those voices behind ours.

A lot of audience members who see Jersey Boys were not even alive when the group was originally popular. Why do you think the Four Seasons songs still resonate with so many people?

I think music at that time was just different. A lot of the music today is almost disposable. Songs come and go so quickly. You can go onto iTunes and grab a song, and tomorrow grab three more. Back then, you really eagerly awaited the release of an album.

Watching the show plays a huge part in keeping people excited, even if they don’t know the story. They get to see the story. Seeing that story makes the music even more interesting than it already is.

Do you find playing the same character several nights a week for a year repetitive? How do you keep the performance interesting?

This is my first foray into a long run like this. The most of I’ve ever done is regional theater, where at most you’re performing for 10 weeks at a time and then the show is done. I was concerned when I first started if I would be able to keep things fresh.

I think the more you realize that every night that you step on stage, this audience is seeing you for the first time. On top of that, you’re playing real people. You’re portraying their lives. There is that responsibility. It keeps it exciting.

As we went on stage for our 500th performance, I realized that it’s not getting old. I’m enjoying every week, finding the nuances that maybe I missed or trying to find the connections between characters that were there in the first place but doing the show so many times you forgot and are finding again. There’s so much to play with. There’s so much in the show to keep your interest

The show has been playing for just over a year now. Why do you think Jersey Boys has been so successful?

I think probably most importantly, there’s a history of the music here in Vegas. The Four Seasons have played here; they’ve played with Frank Sinatra. Frankie Valli has come here on occasion. There’s just a history here. I also think the music is of a genre that really just fits into Vegas, both classically and contemporarily. It’s just music that works in this town.

Jersey Boys as a show is much different than other Broadway shows. I think it’s really more of a behind-the-scenes kind of show. One of the reasons it might work with some of the younger audiences is because it’s very reminiscent of VH1’s Behind the Music. These are shows that people watch. They’re interested in finding out the back-story. So the show itself is much more compelling. It’s not a musical; it’s a play about these guys, where the music is used to introduce you to the history. It’s a great story.

By Caitlin McGarry   Thu, Jul 09, 2009

Jamie Foxx is a triple threat. As an actor, musician and comedian, Foxx has become a master of each craft, from his days on In Living Color to his Oscar-winning turn as Ray Charles in 2004’s Ray to his newfound success as a recording artist.

Foxx’s latest focus, singing, has also been one of his oldest talents. He sang in the church choir as a child, and studied classical music and composition in college. Comedy was a bit of a detour for Foxx, who was born Eric Marlon Bishop in 1967. But he has returned to his first love, and released his third album, Intuition, last year.

Intuition blew up the charts when radio DJs heard the record’s second single, “Blame It,” featuring T-Pain. The song has been ubiquitous on the airwaves and in nightclubs across the country this year. A fourth album is rumored to be in the works.

Jamie Foxx performs at the Joint July 3 and 4 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $45.50, $71, $91, $121, $191 and $246.v

By Caitlin McGarry   Thu, Jul 09, 2009

…But selling tickets ain’t one. The reigning king of hip-hop, Jay-Z, never leaves the spotlight for long, and he has returned to the stage this summer to promote a new album to be released later this year.

Of course, fans would flock to see Jay-Z perform with or without a record in the works, but many are happy to see Hova return with some new material. His last album, American Gangster, was released in 2007 and inspired by the movie of the same name. Jay-Z has guest-rapped on several songs since then, including collaborating with rappers T.I., Lil Wayne and Kanye West for the hit “Swagga Like Us.”

Jay-Z will be performing with Ciara for two dates in July. The singer recently released her third album, Fantasy Ride.

Jay-Z appears with Ciara at the Palms July 3 and 4 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $129, $179 and $229.

By Caitlin McGarry   Thu, Jul 09, 2009

Most pop-punk bands in the new millennium have been one-hit wonders, but the All-American Rejects have broken the mold.

When lead singer Tyson Ritter, guitarist Nick Wheeler, guitarist Mike Kennerty and drummer Chris Gaylor burst on the scene with the hit “Swing, Swing,” it seemed unlikely that the catchy tune would lead to long-term success.

But the band’s second album, Move Along, was more popular than its first, with hits like “Dirty Little Secret” and “It Ends Tonight” dominating the charts in 2006.

Seven years after the release of its debut self-titled album, the Oklahoma-based band has released their third record, When the World Comes Down, with the hit lead single “Gives You Hell.” The All-American Rejects have proved to the world they are certainly no one-hit wonders.

The All-American Rejects play at Mandalay Bay July 3 at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $40.

By Caitlin McGarry   Thu, Jul 09, 2009

One of the most famous groups in hip-hop has garnered little mainstream attention, in part because their approach to the genre is vastly different than most hip-hop artists today. The Roots, as the forefathers of rap, always manage to go their own way.

For one, they forego samples for the most part, preferring instead to use live instruments on both their records and in their performances. The Roots are also unafraid to take risks with their music, as with 2004’s Tipping Point, an album of jam sessions that were pared down to create cohesion.

Rap’s edgier side is demonstrated on the group’s latest record, Rising Down, which has been a magnet for controversy due to its cover, which references America’s history of slavery and institutionalized racism, and lyrics that take on social issues like the war in Iraq and the state of the world.

The Roots have become more mainstream this year, as they took up residence as the house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. They are also expected to release a new record in October, called How I Got Over. MC Black Thought has said the album will be a positive one, in celebration of Barack Obama’s presidency.

The Roots perform at the Hard Rock Hotel July 10 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $40.91.