PUBLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE OBSERVER MEDIA GROUP

Vegas Seven, 302 East Carson Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89101

Vegas Seven is distributed each Thursday throughout Southern Nevada

c 2015 Vegas Seven, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of Vegas Seven, LLC is prohibited.

LETTERS AND STORY IDEAS Comments@VegasSeven.com

ADVERTISING Sales@VegasSeven.com

DISTRIBUTION Distribution@VegasSeven.com

P UBL ISHERMichael Skenandore

EDI T ORI A LEDITOR Matt Jacob

SENIOR EDITORS Paul Szydelko, Xania Woodman

A&E EDITOR Cindi Reed

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Camille Cannon

SENIOR WRITERS Steve Bornfeld, Geoff Carter, Lissa Townsend Rodgers

CALENDAR COORDINATOR Ian Caramanzana

SENIOR CON T RIBU T ING EDI T ORMelinda Sheckells (style)

CON T RIBU T ING EDI T ORSMichael Green (politics), Al Mancini (dining),

David G. Schwartz (gaming/hospitality)

A R TCREATIVE DIRECTOR Ryan Olbrysh

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Cierra Pedro

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Anthony Mair, Krystal Ramirez

V EGASSE V EN.COMDIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MEDIA Nicole Ely

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Herbert Akinyele

ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Zoneil Maharaj

SENIOR WRITER, RUNREBS.COM Mike Grimala

ASSISTANT WEB PRODUCER Amber Sampson

PRODUC T ION / DIS T RIBU T IONDIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION/DISTRIBUTION Marc Barrington

ADVERTISING MANAGER Jimmy Bearse

DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Jasen Ono

S A L ESBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Christy Corda

DIGITAL SALES MANAGER Nicole Scherer

ACCOUNT MANAGER Brittany Quintana

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Alyse Britt, Robyn Weiss

IN T ERNS

Will Carter, Kayla Dean, Shannon Kelly, Rachel Kerr,

Aric Lairmore, Brent Martelli, Erik Shallenberger

Ryan T. Doherty | Justin Weniger

PRESIDENT Michael Skenandore

VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING AND EVENTS Kyle Markman

DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS Michael Uriarte

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sherwin Yumul

MARKETING MANAGER Maureen Hank

LAS VEGAS’ WEEKLY CITY MAGAZINE | FOUNDED FEBRUARY 2010

16

July

9–1

5, 2

015

| V

egas

Sev

en.c

om

ILLU

ST

RA

TIO

N B

Y C

IER

RA

PE

DR

O

TH

E L

AT

ES

T

Who was the better Vegas ambassador: Elvis or Frank?The word “ambassador” will undoubtedly pres-ent challenges to some, as Elvis and Frank were of another time, and social values have shifted since their deaths. Both suffered faults, failures, weaknesses and public embarrassments, but that just makes both well suited to represent our city of second chancers.

It can be argued that it was in Las Vegas that the Chairman and the King made their biggest marks, each staking out important appear-ances that helped to reinvigorate their careers. A 35-year-old Sinatra made the first move, appear-ing September 4, 1951, at the Desert Inn at a time when his teen idol career (thanks to the arrival of Eddie Fisher) and personal life (thanks to the departure of Ava Gardner) were in free fall. But Vegas helped Frank find his swagger just as he helped inject a swinging sophistication into Vegas. In 1960, Ocean’s 11—the Rat Pack’s 127-minute Technicolor press release for Las Vegas—forever intertwined the two. Sinatra performed here regu-larly through 1994, and longtime Las Vegas Review-Journal entertainment reporter Mike Weatherford once wrote that Sinatra was Las Vegas’ “one-man Chamber of Commerce.” Go, Frank!

Barely legal but already sporting his rockabilly pompadour and sideburns, Elvis began his Ve-gas tenure in 1956 with a two-week, tepidly re-ceived run at the Last Frontier. He made up for it in 1964, when Viva Las Vegas gave us not only another reason to tolerate musicals, but also, finally, our very own theme song. Go, Elvis!

Presley wisely waited 13 years after appear-ing at the Last Frontier to return to the Vegas stage, launching (in 1969) a series of 837 sold-out performances at the Las Vegas Internation-al/Hilton. His final show here was in 1976; he died the following year. Since then we’ve lived through roughly a zillion Elvis impersonators, Elvis weddings, the Flying Elvi, and far too many broken Elvis sunglasses (complete with side-burns) littering the Strip.

So, Elvis or Frank—which is it? A quick poll of fellow natives points to a definitive answer. Unfortunately, many remember Elvis from his (ahem) “larger”-than-life, prescription-addled jump-suited era (probably thanks to all those impersonators), not Viva Las Vegas. They see the King as kitschy (probably thanks to all those sou-venir shops) and as someone who, like so many others, reinvented himself and made a name here.

Conversely, Sinatra is remembered for the tailored suits and the swagger, for standing his ground when pal Sammy Davis Jr. was initially de-nied a room at the segregated Sands, and for his friendship with mobster Sam Giancana. For better and for worse, Frank seems to be “of Vegas” rath-er than just in it. So, sorry, Elvis fans: Frank gets the nod. But, hey, you’ll always have Memphis.

Questions? AskaNative@VegasSeven.com.

J A M E S P . R E Z A

SINCE THE RECESSION, THE LOCALS casino market has endured some tough times, but the 2015 numbers so far suggest those tough times might be over. In particular, North Las Vegas and Boulder Strip properties, after several rough years, are showing revenue increases. Is it because value-conscious visitors are venturing off the Strip? Is it a sign of a reinvigorated economy? Possibly a little of both. Whatever the cause, the stronger neighbor-hood casino market is a positive sign for Southern Nevada’s overall economic health.

It might be surprising to some, but locals casinos in a sense got the worst of the recession. The Las Vegas Strip was hurt, to be sure, by the decline in consumer spending, but the broader tour-ism slowdown had a devastating effect on establishments outside the resort corridor. Hospitality workers, including those laid off and those whose hours were reduced, obviously no longer had the same spending power. To make matters worse, stalled construction—both on Las Vegas Boulevard and around the Val-ley—deprived neighborhood casinos of one of their most valuable groups of customers.

With less spending and fewer potential customers, the reces-sion’s impact was immediate. Through 2014, gaming revenues had fallen 16 percent from their pre-recession highs in North Las Vegas and 17 percent in the Boulder Strip reporting area, which includes eastern Las Vegas and Henderson. The Las Vegas Strip, by comparison, suffered a drop-off of less than 7 percent. In other words, off-Strip places were affected more than twice as

much—and that revenue drag, un-til recently, had been continuing.

Further, neighborhood casinos haven’t seen the same migra-tion of spending from gaming to nongaming that tourist-oriented properties have. For the past sev-eral years, gaming has continued to represent about 70 percent of total locals casino income; places on the Strip get about half that amount from their gaming foors. So the decline in gaming and shift to nongaming, which has been a boon for the Boulevard, has been a net loss elsewhere.

But here’s the good news: For the six months ending May 31, the Boulder Strip’s gaming prof-its were up by 9 percent—a better improvement than that for Las Vegas Boulevard or the state at large. Places in North Las Vegas posted similar growth.

Meanwhile, Station Casinos, which operates 19 properties in the Valley, boasted a 5 percent increase in operating revenues for the frst quarter of 2015. Boyd Gaming reported fat revenues for its six non-Strip establish-ments for the same period, though its Downtown venues saw a slight uptick.

There are two theories for why the locals market is heating up, and both are probably accurate. First, as overall visitation rises, room rates are rising. So those still watching their wallets may be staying and playing off-Strip.

This didn’t happen so much during the worst of the reces-sion because many who couldn’t afford discounted Strip rooms also couldn’t afford rooms elsewhere, no matter how inex-pensive. With rates now soaring from Mandalay Bay to SLS, other hotels, such as those Downtown, are positioned to beneft.

Second, the cranes have reappeared in our corner of the Mojave. Awaited as eagerly as the swallows returning to Capistra-no, these cranes signal the start of major construction projects—not just on Las Vegas Boulevard but around the Valley—which means the return of an impor-tant revenue stream for neigh-borhood properties. During the boom years of the mid-2000s, construction workers were among the most valuable players at a host of non-Strip casinos. Add to that better prospects for small-business owners involved in the industry, and you have an-other good reason to be bullish about the locals market.

At the end of the day, though, it’s neither higher prices in the tourist corridor nor an improv-ing economy that will guarantee continued strong results for the little guys. The men and women who operate such casinos must remain sensitive to what is bring-ing guests to them—whether it’s convenience, better prices or more intimate customer service—and continue to invest in it. The market is more crowded than it has been for years, and the one thing you can bet on is this com-petition for the local gambling dollar will remain ferce.

David G. Schwartz is the director of UNLV’s Center for Gaming Research.

Back in BusinessCrushed by the recession, locals casinos are fnally on the upswing

18

July

9–1

5, 2

015

| V

egas

Sev

en.c

om

ILLU

ST

RA

TIO

N B

Y C

IER

RA

PE

DR

O

TH

E L

AT

ES

T

@Ben_Stuart_ Things I can’t bring my-

self to correct in my 2&3

yr old girls: They think

the 4th of July is Captain

America’s birthday.

@EnasYorl So, USA beat Germany

then Japan to win the

World Cup. Sounds

familiar. #USWNT

#USWomensSoccer

@Misnomer Never really been a

religious person, but

I would join a cult led

by Darrell Hammond

dressed as Col. Harlan

Sanders.

@ahannewald RIP #Vegas sheriff

#RalphLamb. You had

a huge impact on the

growth of our city. Cow-

boys never die…

@CMPunk If the rumors of a

hockey team in Vegas

are true, I can only hope

they name them the Las

Vegas Hookers.

@colbertlateshow Gay Marriage Now Legal

In All 51 States! It’s

Safe To Come Out Now,

Gaysylvania!

@LVCabChronicles Tonight, in what has to

be the dumbest question

I’ve heard in a while,

somebody just asked

me: “Are there any

hotels around here?”

@jvfricke Will be at the Rio in five

minutes. If you owe

me money let me know

where I can find you.

@Calllabro It is almost the sixth of

July. Pack up your fire-

works and go to bed.

@NormanChad If you’re supposed to

learn from your mis-

takes, then I should have

23, maybe 24 WSOP

bracelets by now.

MUCH LIKE YOUR LOVE of the Terminator franchise, and the blockbuster,

sponsored-by-Beel-zebub partnership

between Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea, and the Chipwich off the Interstate 15/Tropicana exit, it seems that nothing is going to survive this brutal summer.

The frst casualty, of course, was the Center Bar, the iconic Hard Rock Hotel space that found late life as billboard space for JBL speakers. (JBL: Hear the truth! And also sort of feel like your happiest memories of long-forgotten rock shows have been co-opted. JBL!) The trendsetting gather-ing spot wrapped it up June 28 with Vince Neil in the house and vague rumors of the space being transformed into a mixology bar. Finally, someplace in town to pay 16 bucks for a dollar’s worth of rye and promises of spherical ice.

Just before the fnal shots were poured at Center Bar, SLS an-nounced it was shuttering Life nightclub. Which you know all about from all your friends con-

stantly being all like “I can’t believe they’re closing Life!”; “Where are we going to hang out if Life isn’t around anymore?”; and “Do you think it was a tremendous misstep to obliterate the Sahara brand and convert the entire property to some vague simulacra of a mall themed around L.A. scenester-ism?” Your friends are weirdly thoughtful and observant that way.

Now comes word that the Cos-mopolitan is turning the lights out at Book & Stage on July 12. Book & Stage was a killer venue fve years ago when the Cosmo was still programming music in the space. That windfall of free music for the people ended right around the time Rehan Choudhry decamped the property as director of enter-tainment and special events to start Life Is Beautiful.

Post-Choudhry, Book & Stage lingered as a lounge with increas-ingly infrequent music acts; now it will give way to a new venue from Clique Hospitality, the outft run by former Light Group CEO Andy Masi. There is virtually no chance of the new spot bringing in Elec-tric Six to do “Gay Bar,” but we’re

holding out hope nonetheless.It’s not only venues that are wilt-

ing in the heat, either. Baby-daddy extraordinaire Scott Disick—last seen rolling solo in Vegas at his regular haunt, 1 Oak, on June 26—went and got himself photo-graphed being fed by stylist Chloe Bartoli in Monte Carlo. This clear-ly didn’t sit well with Kourtney Kardashian, who quickly pulled the plug on the relationship. Way to blow it with the cute one, Scott. It’s not like this was Khloe you were messing around on.

But then there’s the other side of the equation—the side where the te-nacity (and DJ skills) of a cockroach come into play: Paris Hilton spent her Fourth of July weekend at Tao with boyfriend Thomas Gross. On America’s birthday itself, Hilton “spun” at Tao Beach, wearing a red, white and blue bikini that would make you question what you ever found appealing about the very idea of America in the frst place. Then she played her new single “High Off My Love,” and you con-cluded that yes, indeed, we were way too hasty about the whole King George III thing.

Share your Tweet! Add #V7.

A Bummer SummerBidding farewell to three venues, Scott Disick’s common sense and ’Merica’s dignity

By Jason Scavone

20

July

9–1

5, 2

015

| V

egas

Sev

en.c

om

STYLE

PH

OT

O B

Y J

ON

ES

TR

AD

A

Nehme E. AbouzeidExecutive director of brand marketing and advertising

Your diverse background includes working as

a journalist in Beirut and Boston before getting

an MBA and moving to Las Vegas. How has

your style evolved from then to now?

I went to journalism school at George Washington University, where most of the professors were working journalists in Watergate-era Washington, D.C. They were pretty conservative and preached “shoe-leather journalism,” where you pounded the pavement in suits, leather oxford shoes and an overcoat.

Upon graduation, I moved to the Middle East and began reporting in cosmopolitan Beirut, where you’d interview conserva-tive religious leaders one day and liberal fashion designers and art dealers the next. I always erred on the side of formality, as everybody respects a well-tailored suit.

How does your own style play into decisions

you make in your current job of brand

marketing and advertising for a large resort?

It rarely does. ... I never make the mis-take of thinking I am the target custom-er for something that I am marketing, if indeed I am not. You have to do your research and take ‘I’ out of the equation.

You’re a self-described tennis nut, so whose

on-court style do you admire, and what

sportswear brand can you not live without?

Roger Federer has been the [fashion] trendsetter in tennis for the past decade. Everything he does is effortless and cool. For sports brands, I’ve always gobbled up adidas gear—especially the adidas Originals line—because it reminds me of my soccer and tennis upbringing. But I love Ellesse tennis clothing from the ten-nis boom of the 1970s and 1980s. Ellesse clothes from that era still look good; you just can’t fnd them anymore.

Who is one person who helped shape your

fashion taste?

My late father always taught me that if you have one shirt, make sure it is pressed and clean. He was short in stat-ure, so he couldn’t pass on any clothes to me, but he did pass on a vintage Omega Seamaster wristwatch that I wear as much as I can. And his “Don’t dress for the job you have; dress for the job you want” mantra has always served me well. –Elizabeth Sewell Jantzen Tailor Hong Kong shirt, Bugatchi sweater, Ermenegildo Zegna pants, Lotto shoes, Motorola smartwatch

TH

E L

AT

ES

T

22

July

9–1

5, 2

015

| V

egas

Sev

en.c

om

➜ except for a stray Sandlot-type pickup game here and there, the dozens of baseball felds scattered throughout our Valley sat mostly vacant on June 13. The Little League season had concluded a couple of weeks earlier; the UNLV baseball team had been eliminated from the Mountain West Conference tournament before that; and the f-nal pitch in the high school state championship game had long since been thrown. Sure, on that sweltering Saturday evening, the Las Ve-gas 51s pounded out a 10-5 victory over instate Pacifc Coast League rival Reno at Cashman Field, but nothing particularly noteworthy happened in that contest. ¶ And yet, June 13, 2015, will be remem-bered—at least by local seamheads—as a milestone day in Las Vegas baseball history. ¶ It all started some 1,200 miles away in Arlington, Texas. That’s where Rangers rookie third baseman/outfelder Joey Gallo launched a fourth-inning pitch deep into the right-feld stands for his third home run in just his 10th big league game, helping Texas outslug the Twins 11-7. It continued in Milwaukee, where Washing-ton Nationals right felder Bryce Harper went 3-for-3 and drove in a pair of runs (his 50th and 51st RBIs of the season) in a 7-2 victory over the Brewers. And fnally, 90 minutes south in Chicago, rookie third baseman Kris Bryant went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, guiding the Cubs to a 4-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds. 23

July

9–1

5, 2

015

| V

egas

Sev

en.c

om

BabyBoomersWith each prodigious swing of the bat this summer, three young Las Vegas big leaguers are cementing

our city’s place on the national baseball mapB Y M I K E G R I M A L A

PH

OT

O B

Y J

EF

F H

AN

ISC

H/U

SA

TO

DA

Y S

PO

RT

S

Bryce Harper.

38

July

9–1

5, 2

015

| V

egas

Sev

en.c

om

LAIDBACK LUKE IS ONE OF THE FEW OLD-school artists who has adapted and sur-vived the limelight in an era of overnight teen DJ sensations. Born Lucas Cornelis van Scheppingen, Luke navigated the world of underground raves throughout the 1990s, and modifed his sound by the early 2000s to rise to fame during the EDM explosion only a handful of years ago. Check out how Luke stays on top of the music game and hear his ever-chang-ing sound July 19 at Encore Beach Club.

We had to schedule this interview around

your “Daddy Days.” What does that mean?

Every Tuesday and Wednesday are my “Daddy Days.” One week, I have them in New York, because my daughter and [wife], Gina [Turner], live there. The other week, I’ll have [“Daddy Days”] in the Netherlands, because my two sons from my previous marriage live there, so I go back and forth. It means I just take time to actually be there with my kids and not do anything work related.

That’s a far cry from the perceived

“rock-star lifestyle” that some people

might think you live.

Yeah. It’s very important, actually. At the beginning of my career, I just tried to plan by ear. But with kids, you’ve just got to be there and make time for them.

Early on, you used to play more

underground types of music.

Why don’t you do that anymore?

A real DJ should always adapt to the room. So when you see me in Vegas, I play more commercial [tracks], which is appropriate to Vegas. And if I play a small club, it’ll be different than a fes-tival. What a lot of people don’t know is that my roots are in techno—I actu-ally broke through as a techno DJ. I’m from the same generation as Marco Carola, Adam Beyer and Umek, and I still speak to those guys.

When did you make the switch to a

more commercial sound?

The late ’90s, and I said goodbye to techno in about 2001. I believe it took about 10 years, until I met Gina, that [techno] got ignited with me again.

You recently played a back-to-back techno

set with Gina in the Mixmag Lab in Los

Angeles. Why did you want to do that?

It was just such a fun thing to do, be-

cause Gina plays mainly underground music. Whenever we play back-to-back it’s really, really underground. Gina often does the deeper parties and the techno parties, and she keeps well connected with what’s going on there. When we came [home] from Mixmag Lab, one girl tweeted, “It was incredible, I think there was only one song I recognized!”

So you like playing those sets where

you have to Shazam everything, and

sometimes it’s not even on Shazam?

Yeah. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a techno purist. I’m not always into deep house—I love it all. I really do en-joy playing commercial sets, and I do enjoy playing very underground sets, and sometimes even in my festival sets I’ll try to sneak in one or two deeper tracks, just because of the variation. Nowadays, everything is so segregated

into separate genres. I don’t really care about genres. I’m really a lover of [all] electronic dance music.

Your new “Beat of the Drum” track with

Angger Dimas featuring Mina has been

described as a part of the “jungle terror”

genre. What does that mean?

I’d describe it as the revenge of the Dutch sound. Basically, when every-one jumped on the whole signature Dutch sound, it died out really quick-ly. In the underground, there were all these cool guys, such as Main Course Music and Wiwek, keeping this Dutch type of vibe alive, but they took it more into the tribal route—especially Wiwek, who I’ve been guiding for a couple of years. I’ve actually been try-ing to tell them, “Dude, you’ve got to make more mainstream stuff, because no one understands all the jungle and monkey sounds you’re putting into this track. No one gets it.”

Do people “get it” now?

All of a sudden, it’s here and it’s work-ing. Everyone loves the jungle and tribal sound. One of Wiwek’s infu-ences is Angger Dimas. He and I used to work [together] a lot. I thought Ang-ger should go back into jungle terror. Basically, we made this track in a hotel room in Indonesia, and it worked well for our sets. So we just put it out like that; you know, monkey sounds and el-ephants and everything.

NIGH

TLIFE

Just Kickin’ ItLaidback Luke marches to his own beat

in the music industry—monkey sounds and all

By Kat Boehrer

F R I J U L 1 0

C H U C K I E

S A T J U L 1 1

K R E W E L L A

S U N J U L 1 2

S U L T A N + S H E P A R D

T U E J U L 1 4

A F R O J A C K

T I C K E T S & V I P R E S E R V A T I O N S | O M N I A N I G H T C L U B . C O M | 7 0 2 . 7 8 5 . 6 2 0 0 |

S U L T A N + S H E P A R DJ U L Y 1 2

PARTIES

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com

XS

BY

DA

NN

Y M

AH

ON

EY

XS NIGHTSWIMEncore

[ UPCOMING ]

July 12 Major Lazer spins

July 19 Kaskade spins

July 26 Will Sparks spins

NIGH

TLIFE

44

July

9–1

5, 2

015

| V

egas

Sev

en.c

om

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com

NIGH

TLIFE

PARTIES

PH

OT

OS

BY

JO

E F

UR

Y

DRAI’S BEACH CLUBThe Cromwell

[ UPCOMING ]

July 10 DJ Sinatra spins

July 11 Feenixpawl spins

July 12 D-Wayne spins

48

July

9–1

5, 2

015

| V

egas

Sev

en.c

om

53

July

9–1

5, 2

015

| V

egas

Sev

en.c

om

DINING

PH

OT

O B

Y A

NT

HO

NY

MA

IR

Restaurant reviews, news and three quaffable rosés for all your summer barbecue and porch-pounding needs

“The challenge and the excitement is getting

guests away from that frst [unpleasant]

experience they may have had.” {PAGE 56}

The dining room at Siegel’s 1941.

Rekindling the FlameSiegel’s 1941 brings round-the-clock dining back to El Cortez

By Al Mancini

I DON’T GENERALLY REVIEW 24-hour restaurants. When a place opts to stay open around the clock, it usually has a little something for everyone—making it a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none. Basi-cally, they’re boring as all hell. (Note: A special dispensation is granted to the Peppermill.)

So why then am I dedicating this space to Siegel’s 1941, El Cor-tez’s recently refreshed coffee shop? First, it’s the long-delayed replacement for the beloved Flame Steak-house. Second, El Cor-tez is intriguing as it tries to fnd a balance between an old-school hotel-casino with loyal octogenarian clients and a hangout in the heart of hipster Downtown. But most importantly, there aren’t a hell of a lot of places to eat when you stumble out of a trendy Downtown wa-tering hole in the wee hours of the morning, so Siegel’s will inevita-bly look tempting after a bar crawl.

That said, my criteria when judging Siegel’s are a bit different. I wasn’t looking for a destination restaurant, or even a restaurant to compete with Down-town’s top eateries. Rather, I was looking for a nice variety of food that could satisfy El Cortez’s guests as well as Downtown denizens with off-hour munchies. And on those grounds, the place succeeds.

Siegel’s 1941 is a tribute to Bugsy Siegel; “1941” refers to the year El Cortez opened. So you’ll fnd plenty of mob-themed artwork on the walls. The tiled

ceiling features vintage lighting fxtures. And the red booths are tra-ditional mob-era chic. The retro vibe also has a modern twist that’s hard to defne, but it’s clearly meant to appeal to the neighborhood’s younger clientele. The most important part of the space’s makeover, however, is the foor-to-ceiling windows that make it feel con-nected to the rest of the casino, as opposed to the tucked-away vibe of its previous incarnation.

Moving on to the food, there is defnitely something for every-one. Some breakfast items are available around the clock. There’s a plethora of hearty sandwiches. And the dinner menu includes Italian staples, fve seafood entrées, numerous chicken specialties and a nice steak selection.

Let’s start with the dedicated breakfast menu. It goes beyond traditional expecta-tions, thanks to some mildly intriguing omelets (black forest ham and cheese or pork carnitas, any-one?), four types of corned beef hash and Tuscan sunny-side up eggs made with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto and basil. The problem here is that these dishes are only available from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. So while they’re nice choices if you’re looking for a real breakfast, hungry night owls won’t get to enjoy them. But have no fear, my late-night friends. The “breakfast anytime” menu offers such post-drinking staples as Belgian but-

56

July

9–1

5, 2

015

| V

egas

Sev

en.c

om

DURING A RECENT TASTING AT ENCORE’S HIP ASIAN RESTAURANT Andrea’s, a different premium sake accompanied each of executive chef Joe Elevado’s courses. They’d been selected by sommelier Melissa Nguyen, and as she poured them, she explained their subtleties and how they complement the food. As a sake afcionado who’s been fortunate enough to enjoy the beverage with some of the nation’s top sake experts, I couldn’t help but be impressed by her knowledge and her selections. But that’s not surprising. Nguyen is one of only 180 Level II sake professionals in the world, as certifed by the Sake Education Council. And she is hell-bent on changing the negative image many people still have of Japan’s national drink.

“The challenge and the excitement is getting guests away from that frst [unpleasant] experience they may have had,” she says. “I try to explain it as a beautiful glass of white wine that has those subtle nuances, those complexities, those aromatics. I try to get them to think in that mindset, as opposed to it being served hot, and being painful going down or throwing it into your beer glass.”

This is why 34-year-old Nguyen makes it a point to interact with her guests as much as possible. “When guests are open-minded to trying something different, then it’s just kind of fne-tuning and fnd-ing out exactly what it is they’re looking for. I’ll ask the styles of beverages that they would drink other than sake.”

And no matter what that is, Nguyen can usually re-late, thanks to her extensive and varied training: She also holds certifcations as a beer server and tequila specialist. She’s served as a sommelier at Caesars Pal-ace, and assisted in coordinating the award-winning wine list at the three-Michelin-starred Joël Robuchon in MGM Grand. Yet immediately before joining the team at Andrea’s, she began tending bar at Down-town hot spots Atomic Liquors and the Gold Spike, and occasionally still picks up shifts at both when she has the time. Needless to say, the clientele at the lat-ter are a bit different from those at the former.

“At Atomic, because there’s such a phenomenal beer and cocktail program, [customers] are always very intrigued about what new taps are coming on,

and the cocktails, which are very seasonal,” she says of one side gig. A few blocks away at the Gold Spike, the clientele is “very straightforward and simple,” preferring Fireball shots and Adios Motherfuckers.

Such varied experiences serve the sommelier well when she’s working the foor at Andrea’s, where the customers on any given night might include celebri-ties, club kids on their way to Surrender or Encore Beach Club, well-heeled high-rollers or random Strip partiers.

“I always think of the word ‘adaptability,’” Nguyen says of her responsibilities to such a diverse audi-ence. “And I think that’s so huge in our industry, to have that type of intuition and be able to provide the service that people are looking for. So many different walks of life come to our city, dine in our restaurants and go to our bars. So it’s a matter of acclimating and adapting to what they’re looking for.”

If what you’re looking for is sake, whether you’re a newbie or a longtime fan, Nguyen will undoubt-edly find one among her 40-plus labels to suit your taste.

DIN

IN

G

PH

OT

O B

Y K

RY

STA

L R

AM

IRE

Z

A Win-NguyenEncore’s well-versed sommelier turns her passion from wine to sake

By Al Mancini

57

July

9–1

5, 2

015

| V

egas

Sev

en.c

om

DRINKING

AZ

ZU

RR

E S

PIR

ITS

BY

KR

YS

TA

L R

AM

IRE

Z

➜ THE FAMILY THAT MAKES BOOZE TOGETHER, stays together. Just ask Danny and Angela Pettit. The father-daughter duo has just launched Azzurre Spirits (AzzurreSpirits.com), the family’s own line of vodka and gin, available now in Las Vegas, and soon in California.

The learning curve was steep; Danny has a 30-year background in corporate fnance and tech, not to men-tion a number of entrepreneurial pursuits (ahem, racing team owner), while Angela is a certifed personal trainer and athletic instructor. Danny has attempted retirement a few times, but the deep blue-green of the Mediterra-nean captivated him while living abroad, inspiring a new venture. With the help of Essential Spirits, a con-tract distillery in Mountain View, California, Danny and Angela sought to capture that coastal feel, along with the scents and tastes of the region, in a spirit that thumbs its nose at the notion of vodka as a favorless, odorless spirit.

Azzurre Vodka has an intriguing aroma, having been distilled from apples, grapes and sugarcane, instead of wheat, rye or potatoes. The favor evokes apples and cream, with a perceived sweetness, yet dry fnish, lend-ing it to fruity and delicate applications. “People should try them on ice, and then see what they want to do,” An-

gela says. She likes her vodka with freshly pressed wa-termelon juice and a little lime, or just club soda and a squeeze of citrus. And before you ask: “No, we don’t add anything,” Danny says. “Only water, pure water.

Azzurre Gin came second, born out of the vodka base. “It’s very complex,” Danny says of the recipe. “We lined up [botanical] elements, tasted each one separately and started eliminating. Then we started blending, adding and subtracting.” Following in the footsteps of Hen-drick’s and other alternative-style gins, Danny and his distiller intentionally dialed back the juniper profle (at once gin’s defning and most polarizing character-istic), and pumped up the botanicals with tangerine, grapefruit, ginger, basil and rose petals for an assertive, unique aroma, favor and fnish.

Among the frst to embrace the Pettits’ passion project was DB Brasserie in the Venetian, which uses the vodka in a riff on the French 75, and you can fnd the gin in the house Negroni at Public School 702. Also look for Az-zurre’s dramatic iris logos at STK in the Cosmopolitan, Delmonico Steakhouse in the Venetian, VDKA bar in En-core, Vintner Grill in Summerlin and at Lee’s Discount Liquors locations. Then drink one for the home team.

[ SCENE STIRS ]

NEW DOWNTOWN LOUNGE CLASSIC JEWEL HAS OLD-SCHOOL VEGAS LUSTERA treasure has been unearthed at the Juhl. Like

a time capsule from the 1950s comes Classic

Jewel, a retro-themed lounge located on the

building’s north side.

Decked out with chandeliers, tufted wall pan-

els, an ornate banquette, a handcrafted concrete

bar and a giant mural of ’50s-era Las Vegas

created by local artist Miguel Rodriguez, this

swanky concept exudes classy cool. And though

it’s the first nightlife business venture for co-

owners Jerome “Rome” Harry and Selina Brown,

they look to be doing everything right. They’ve

devoted a generous amount of time to conceiving

and planning the space, beginning six years ago,

when Harry moved Downtown to the Juhl.

“We wanted to be a part of something that was

growing and cater to the community,” Brown

says. “A lot of the people who work Downtown

want to have a place that they can call home. We

want to get regulars who, when they walk in the

door, we know exactly what drink they want.”

Harry, a former indie music label honcho from

Los Angeles, and Brown, who’s worked at vari-

ous Strip properties for the past five years, are

going all-out with the theme by screening classic

films and concert footage from the vintage Vegas

era. There will be contemporary tunes, too,

provided on weekends by DJs, live bands and

lounge singers. As a member of the Las Vegas

Cruisin’ Association classic car club, Harry also

wants to showcase some sweet rides in front on

the weekends. But if it’s the retro vibe and classic

rides that draw you to the Classic Jewel, it’s the

drinks that will keep you in their cushy seats.

The menu, designed by family friend Kimberly

Etol, features 10 cocktails that fit the theme like

an evening glove. You’ll find drinks such as the

Brooklyn to Vegas (made with Bulleit bourbon,

blood orange bitters and Carpano Antica sweet

vermouth) and The Sammy (Hendrick’s gin,

Hangar One vodka, Lillet Blanc and St-Germain),

along with their own spins on such staples as

the Old-Fashioned, Vesper and classic Martini.

If you’d prefer a cold brew instead, they’ve

got a few kegs from local breweries on tap, too,

which they’ll switch regularly, Brown says.

Although Classic Jewel takes its cues from

the old school, Harry wants to be clear that

this isn’t a speakeasy. There will be bright,

neon signage in front, unlike the shuttered Lady

Silvia at the Soho Lofts.

“We want people to know exactly where we

are,” Harry says. – Zoneil Maharaj

Classic Jewel, 353 E. Bonneville Ave., Suite 111,

702-722-6750. Open 4 p.m.-midnight. Mon-Thu.,

4 p.m.-2 a.m. Fri-Sat and noon-8 p.m. Sun.

The Eyes Have ItLocal father-daughter team sees a future in the spirits industry

By Xania Woodman

60

July

9–1

5, 2

015

| V

egas

Sev

en.c

om

But Mitchell’s journey didn’t start with so grand a vision. The 28-year-old Arizona State University senior took his frst photographs in August 2014 as a way to spice up the academic ver-biage and document the sources for his undergraduate sociology capstone project. “I started taking the pictures for my thesis; I originally just wanted six or seven so that when I submitted my paper there was something inter-esting to look at and some proof that I met these people.”

He came up with the idea of com-positing mirror images of veterans in their civvies and in their uniforms from something he had seen in a 2007 episode of America’s Next Top Model. And while the shoot didn’t exactly make me feel sexy, the repeating frames of compositionally similar photographs on the Veteran Vision Project’s virtual wall (see it at VeteranVisionProject.com) an-chor the project in a compact and easily identifable expression of the duality of human nature. It beckons the viewer to look more closely at the people who inhabit those frames. Mitchell hopes this will lead viewers to think more deeply about the challenges service members face as they reintegrate into mainstream American society.

But Mitchell didn’t really know where he was going at frst. He says he didn’t even really have a solid direction for his paper. “I didn’t know what reintegration was when I started. I didn’t know what a veteran was when I started. I thought I knew what a veteran was, but I didn’t re-ally understand in the beginning.”

Part of Mitchell’s initial misunder-standing is a refection of our culture’s tendency to mold our veterans’ narra-tives around a heroic archetype: some-times tortured, but always brave.

Mitchell isn’t interested in having

his photographs appeal to any crafted storyline. He has had plenty of na-tional exposure through features on CBS, Fox News, in The Washington Post, the Japanese edition of GQ and the United Kingdom’s Daily Mail. And he has tangled with more than one group who has wanted to supply him funding but direct the nature of his art toward specifc rhetorical or political ends. His shot of uniformed sailor Alejandro Bataille at parade rest staring back at himself dressed only in a bath towel and involved in a homoerotic shaving session with another man hardly helps push the traditional agenda.

“My photographs have already made it very clear that I am not interested in taste,” he says. Case in point: His image of Marine Corpsman Mackenzie Claude in battle gear staring back at himself, in a blonde wig and tight red dress, fellating an automatic weapon in a mirror em-blazoned with “NEBRASKA THUNDER-FUCK XOXO” in lipstick. “I don’t care how tasteful something is, I care about how transparent they are. You want taste, you can go look at some other red, white and blue magazine where they show just one archetype of veteran. How many times have you seen that?”

Sure, some of Mitchell’s photographs are disturbing, like those of Marine Sgt. Jared Comini, with his back against a

bathroom door and his chin pressed against a pair of shotgun barrels, and sailor Kelli Serio with a pistol poised to obliterate her sobbing features. Yet some also inspire: Navy vet Cody Gus-taveson’s simple image of himself in graduation cap and gown speaks to a narrative of progress and success.

We are naturally drawn to images of imminent violence: the young man or woman with a frearm prepped for self-destruction is undeniably compelling.

We are also drawn to images that fol-low a simple heroic narrative: Proud Coast Guard Commander Desa Rae Atnip Janszen embracing her children makes us see the direct link between the hero and who she is protecting.

But Mitchell doesn’t want those pic-tures taken out of the larger context.

He contends that superfcially mun-dane images of retirees like me, veterans who have come through the transition from uniform to civilian life while still carrying that indefnable longing to be back in uniform, are just as important.

Mitchell says that what he has found so far is that the huge majority of veter-ans are proud of their service but torn and often depressed, haunted by a sud-den emptiness they encounter when they step out of uniform. He emphasizes that he “can’t speak from personal expe-rience”; he is a civilian. But he observes,

“It seems that to be part of an operation that is directly connected to world-changing events can possibly make one feel signifcant. And then to no longer have that kind of validation in life has to be traumatic in one way or another.”

He has consciously steered away from commenting on PTSD or combat-re-lated stress because those have already consumed much of our cultural narra-tive and fed the hyper-simplistic cliché of a “broken hero.” Mitchell is quick to point out, and a 2013 study in The Journal of the American Medical Association agrees, that “combat-related trauma is not killing most of the veterans, it’s depres-sion. It’s some other form of trauma. Millenials tend to have the opinion that the war was actually nice for them and now that they are home they have en-vironmental depression, occupational depression. They don’t feel like they are utilized even if they never saw combat.”

Educating himself and arming himself with the credibility he needs is much of the reason why he is shooting for the 10,000 mark. “It felt like a good number, it felt like it had value,” he says. “After be-ing in 10,000 homes I think it’s going to be pretty diffcult to argue that I didn’t learn something. If it takes me 10 years, well, there will probably be another war in fve years so there will be a new gen-eration of people with problems to solve and I will be there to document it.”

As I listen to Mitchell talk about his project, I am encouraged. I feel heart-ened that this young man is stretching out on a journey of discovery as an artist and a chronicler of part of the human condition. He has a joy for this work and a sense of belonging to it that I recognize in that guy in the mirror who put 25 years in the Air Force load-ing nukes on deep strike aircraft in the ’80s and leading young airmen through their frst years in a post-9/11 military.

Mitchell leans back and with clear eyes tells me, “This is my life’s work. I could do this until I die. At the age of 28 I’ve resigned myself. The resigna-tion comes from the passion I have for it. It is like settling down with someone for the rest of your life. I would hope in 300 years people will be turning the pages in their textbooks, if there are still books, and see the pictures I took.”

After Devin Mitchell walked down my front steps and drove away into the heat, I turned upstairs and looked at myself in the mirror one more time. Then I turned away, shed my past and hung it back up in a garment bag in the closet next to my father’s Korean War feld jacket.

A&E

VETERAN VISION PROJECT

The first of Devin Mitchell’s printed

volumes will be released in early 2016

and will consist of 350 curated images

from his first year of photographing

subjects for the Veteran Vision

Project. View his work, pre-order his

book and register to participate in the

project at VeteranVisionProject.com.

“My photographs have already made it very clear that I am not interested in

taste.” – Devin Mitchell

The author faces off

with his Air Force incarnation.

62

July

9–1

5, 2

015

| V

egas

Sev

en.c

om

A&E

THE LAST SONG Who evokes “summer”

as well as Brian Wilson? The force behind

the Beach Boys is supporting his solo

effort, No Pier Pressure, with former Beach

Boys Al Jardine, David Marks and Blondie

Chaplin. See Wilson, with Rodriguez, at the

Chelsea on July 10 ($50-$125).

NOT BORED, NOT BLIND After a

five-year break, Dashboard Confessional

frontman Chris Carrabba got the old band

together again for a 38-city tour with

Third Eye Blind. If you’re hankering for

some late-’90s alt-rock or early "aughts"

emo, be at The Joint on July 11 ($40-$55).

ON SALE NOW Ariana Grande shows no

signs of slowing down. Two consecutive

No. 1 albums, a slew of awards and

the early success of her worldwide

Honeymoon Tour required 40 extra dates

to satisfy fans. Catch Grande at Mandalay

Bay Events Center on Aug. 29 ($45-$80).

DIZ

ZY

WR

IGH

T B

Y L

IND

A E

VA

NS

; B

OO

K &

STA

GE

BY

SH

Y M

CG

RA

TH

All Grown Up: Las Vegas’ Dizzy Wright Brings His Tour to a CloseThe House of Blues, July 4

The Growing Process is a fitting title for Las

Vegas native MC Dizzy Wright. The 24-year-

old rapper is already considered a vet in the

game, having released his first full-length

album before he was able to legally party in

the clubs where his music was playing. But

with the release and tour of The Growing

Process, Dizzy is showing critics and fans

that he’s evolved from simply being a

talented teenage stoner. “Killem With Kind-

ness” and “Train Your Mind” had the crowd

reciting the lyrics word-for-word as Dizzy

“swagged” his way back and forth across

the stage. “I Need Answers” was also a

great example of how much the rhymer has

grown, as the insightful lyrics quieted the

crowd and allowed them to take in Dizzy’s

wordplay. But what’s a Dizzy Wright show

without a little light-hearted fun? “Every-

where I Go” and “Fly High” punctuated a

well-rounded Independence Day weekend

set from one of Las Vegas’ most talented

sons. ★★★★ ✩ – Brjden Crewe

CONCERT

R.I.P. BOOK & STAGEBack when the Cosmopolitan debuted

in 2010, the Book & Stage solidified the

new resort’s artistic cred. The lounge/

sportsbook/live music venue opened

onto the casino floor, catching passersby

and pulling them in with some unexpect-

edly great tunes. It was, as the prop-

erty’s slogan goes, “just the right amount

of wrong.”

For a minute, Book & Stage was the

coolest place to be, offering a new twist

on the Old Vegas lounge singer tradition:

Up-and-coming indie bands played twice

a night for multiday mini residencies …

for free. Even the most hardened local

music fans shared a sense of innocent

glee at the prospect of so many great

bands playing such a unique setting.

Highlights included Fitz and the Tan-

trums, Walk the Moon, Foster the People,

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, ZZ Ward,

Mayer Hawthorne and Vintage Trouble. It

felt like Christmas morning every night.

In 2011, Vegas Seven even named Book &

Stage the “Best New Venue” in our an-

nual Best of the City awards.

Alas, all that free awesomeness was

too good to be true. The Cosmopolitan,

which has been famously and fabulously

unprofitable, eventually scaled down the

shows to a trickle. Soon the spotlight

of our collective attention moved else-

where (including to other venues on the

same property).

Now, that brief, bright era is finally

ending. According to a statement by the

Cosmopolitan, the Book & Stage will

close on July 12 to make way for “an

exciting lounge concept” that will be

announced soon. It’s hard to imagine

anything as exciting as those early days

of the Book & Stage, but since it’s the

Cosmo, we’re optimistic.

– Cindi Moon Reed

Vintage Trouble at Book & Stage in 2012.

San Andreas (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩Dwayne Johnson plays Ray, the L.A. Fire

Department rescue honcho who’s on the

phone up in his helicopter, talking to his ex,

Emma (Carla Gugino), when one of a series

of Big Ones unleashes its digital fury. The

film concerns Ray and Emma’s attempts

to rescue daughter Blake (Alexandra

Daddario). Blake’s in soon-to-be-leveled

San Francisco with her mother’s snivel-

ing boyfriend (Ioan Gruffudd). San Andreas

imagines the insanely destructive possibili-

ties inherent in a 9.6 quake, plus the inevi-

table tsunami. The effects are quite good.

Aloha (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩Despite a blue-chip cast, Aloha can barely tell

its story straight. Private military contrac-

tor Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper) returns

to Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu. He

works for a billionaire (Bill Murray) partner-

ing with the U.S. military to send up his own

personal rocket for reasons the film gradu-

ally reveals. There’s a triangular romance

afoot. Gilcrest’s ex (Rachel McAdams) is now

married to a taciturn Air Force pilot (John

Krasinski). Emma Stone plays Gilcrest’s

tightly wound handler, a fighter pilot who

retains the idealism Gilcrest once had.

Entourage (R) ★★✩✩✩Fans of the HBO series (2004-2011) will

find the film passable. It picks up where the

show left off. Movie star Vince Chase (Adri-

an Grenier) and his crew from Queens are

eager for more of what Hollywood success

has in store. Entourage brings Vince into the

auteurist big leagues. Jeremy Piven’s su-

peragent Ari Gold is elevated to studio head

and wants Vince to star in a contemporary

remake of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Vince

agrees, upon the condition that he directs

himself. The money’s coming from a Texas

billionaire (Billy Bob Thornton).

Insidious: Chapter 3 (PG-13) ★★★✩✩Going back in time before the haunting of the

Lambert family that made up the first two of-

ferings of the series, this is the story of how

psychic Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) was able to

face her own demons to be able to help oth-

ers. Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott) is a teen

dealing with a lot of pain and sorrow after

the death of her mother. An attempt to speak

through the shroud of death turns into an in-

vitation for a demon to haunt the young girl.

It’s a fun and chilling creep show that is more

concerned with scares than being gross.

Jurassic World (PG-13) ★★★✩✩Business at the retooled dinosaur theme

park off the coast of Costa Rica has hit a

plateau. Scientists led by B.D. Wong have

responded to requests for a new star at-

traction. Behold the genetically engineered

hybrid Indominus rex. Chris Pratt is the

hunky raptor trainer. Bryce Dallas Howard

is the uptight operations manager. Vincent

D’Onofrio is the InGen security honcho,

out to weaponize the park’s dinosaurs for

military purposes. I wasn’t expecting the

world, but I wouldn’t have minded sharper

jokes and grander action scenes.

Spy (R) ★★★✩✩Melissa McCarthy plays Susan Cooper, a

behind-the-scenes CIA analyst who works

as the remotely connected intel expert for

superspy Bradley Fine (Jude Law). When

Fine runs afoul of Bulgarian arms dealers

and disappears, presumed dead, Cooper

gets her chance to enter the field. Where

Spy goes from there is predictable in many

ways but fresh in a few others. Paul Feig

the director is required by Paul Feig the

screenwriter to chase after a wearying

amount of plot, sometimes entertainingly,

sometimes less so.

M A R K E T P L A C E

M A R K E T P L A C E

$9.95Join the NEW Name in Fitness! 5 Las Vegas Locations: Las Vegas Northwest/Las Vegas South/ Las Vegas Centennial/ Las Vegas Aliante/ Las Vegas Southeast

Month to Month

702-529-2139

78

July

9–1

5, 2

015

| V

egas

Sev

en.c

om

After a 15-year major league career and stints

coaching high school, college and Single A,

how do like dealing with players in Triple A?

The younger kids are more apt to not only learn but also to pick your brain about how to move up in the organization—what do I need to do to be successful? At this level, they’re one step away. They pretty much know what they need to do. The question is the mental hurdle of under-standing what it takes to get from being a Triple-A pitcher to a big league pitcher. And that’s my biggest strength: If you were to ask me to break down a [pitcher’s] delivery and start all over

again, I probably wouldn’t be able to do that. But I’ve been through all the highs and all the lows of baseball, so if a scenario plays out, I have an answer, because I’ve been through it myself.

You were inducted into the College Baseball Hall of

Fame last month, and you were the World Series

MVP in 1987 and a Cy Young winner in ’88. Does

that mean players give you respect from the get-go?

Short-term, yes. Once they Google you and realize, “My God, you were able to do this,” you have a window of opportunity. Within that window, you better make a statement that says

SE

VE

N Q

UE

ST

IO

NS

PH

OT

O B

Y K

RY

STA

L R

AM

IRE

Z

Frank ViolaThe 51s pitching coach and former World Series MVP

on connecting with today’s players, his recent health scare

and how he would pitch to Bryce Harper

By Paul Szydelko

to them, “I’m in it for you.” If you don’t do that, they’ll lose you just like they’ll lose anybody else, and then you’ll have no chance. Fortunately, I like talking, I’m outgoing, I’m all about having fun if you do your job. So it’s real easy for me to be able to click with the young players.

How do you measure success

beyond wins, losses and ERA

at this level?

Just seeing what effect we have on the big league club. By mid-June there were 10-11 players who started here who were off to the [New York Mets, the 51s’ parent club] and making a difference. We have no control over a lot of the [promotions]. The kid has to be in the right place at the right time, or you have to be looking for a specifc person for a specifc role at a specifc time. … It’s [about] keeping these kids above water, keeping them even-keeled and letting them know that even though they’re not getting an opportunity now, that oppor-tunity will come if they keep on working hard.

During spring training last

year, you were diagnosed with

an enlarged aorta. What was

your reaction?

I could have been throwing batting practice tomorrow, had an aneurism and died on the spot. Or it could have been 5-10 years from now. Eventu-ally it was going to show its ugly head. So I stopped every-thing, and within a week I was under the knife. It was a hell of a wake-up call. One [minute] I’m concerning myself about how I’m going to handle these Triple-A pitchers and the next thing, it’s life and death.

You take for granted a lot of things. You don’t realize how important people are to you. My wife has been around for 30-plus years, and what she helped me get through is mindboggling. I wouldn’t be able to have the patience to do that for her; she was incredible. Your true friends come out, and you realize that you do make a difference in a lot of people’s lives. I hate to say it, but it’s like going to a funeral—you don’t know until after the fact how much people care about you. It’s nice to know that when you’re [still] around you see all this love and compassion.

What’s your fondest memory of

the ’87 World Series in which

you started three times for the

Minnesota Twins, including

Game 7, when you beat the

St. Louis Cardinals?

When the third out was made, all I wanted my legs to do was get to the bottom of the pile. My biggest thought was, “Don’t collapse before you get to the pile.” It was just an amazing feeling, because when you win a world championship, you do it as a team—25 guys, coach-ing staff, front offce working together. Out of my 15 years [in MLB], that was the only time I made the playoffs.

What was your funniest

moment on the mound?

I’m pitching for the Twins against the Texas Rangers in 1984, and it was the frst time we were in a nationally televised game because we were in a pennant race. We’re winning 1-0, I’m throwing well and I don’t want to be bothered. I just got the leadoff hitter out in the seventh, and all of a sudden catcher Timmy Laudner starts walking to the mound. Halfway to the mound he took his facemask off, put it on top of his head and starts smiling. I’m thinking, “What the hell are you doing? I’m in a groove. Get back!” He keeps on walking slowly with a smile on his face. When he fnally got to the mound, I go, “What’s this all about?” He says, “You’re pitching too well—I want to get some national TV coverage.” So he just walked out to have the camera pan on him. To this day that’s one of the priceless sto-ries, because who would think about doing that in the heat of the moment? It was beautiful.

You’re a southpaw who had a

wicked circle change in your

prime: How do you get left-

handed hitting Las Vegan Bryce

Harper out?

I would work hard stuff away and mix in the changeup when I go ahead in the count. But you have to have enough confdence in your secondary pitches to throw [the change-up] when you’re behind in the count, and I would do that. If I fall behind Bryce Harper 2-1, everybody and their mother would think, “Here comes a fastball”; that’s when I would throw him my changeup. I would pitch him backward, because he’s such a qual-ity hitter. It would be a good matchup; I’d take my chances with him.

What’s Viola’s advice for

youngsters who dream

of being big leaguers? Read the

full interview at VegasSeven.

com/FrankViola.