A&E

Art

Brush With Greatness?

By Abigail R. Esman | July 29th, 2010

Dennis Oppenheim’s paintbrush gateway to the Arts District set to open

When artist Dennis Oppenheim, renowned for his challenging and often-ironic works, looks at Las Vegas, he sees a landscape whose image has real substance. “It has this sort of ring to me, this feeling of exuberance and excess and intoxication, of fantasy in the desert,” he says.

So when the opportunity arose in spring 2007 to design a gateway to Las Vegas’ 18b Arts District, his imagination took off.

Soundscraper

Of wallabies, rodents and the triumphant return of glam metal

By Jarret Keene | July 29th, 2010

When I think of intriguing live music encounters of the ’80s kind, I don’t usually consider The Monte Carlo. My opinion changes with this week’s lineup of former new waver/Men at Work frontman Colin Hay (July 30) and L.A. glam-metal act Ratt (Aug. 5).

Movie Review

Designer Love

By Rex Reed | July 29th, 2010

A love affair between two modern greats makes for a genius movie

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a film as sumptuous as Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky. Exquisitely designed, lushly photographed and beautifully acted, this historic footnote to the secret lives of two of the most brilliant and fascinating people of the 20th century is absolutely mesmerizing. Who knew they were lovers?

Expert Picks

Neon Reverb DJ selects seven acts that could be next year’s Best Band

July 29th, 2010

Donald Hickey, better known as “The Donald,” is the pervasive voice behind Neon Reverb Radio 91.5 KUNV. The full-time airline pilot started hosting the weekly show to bring “modern, left-of-the-dial music to Las Vegas.” The longtime Las Vegan’s Saturday show features independent artists from across the nation mixed side-by-side with local artists, making him the right guy to spot the Valley’s finest locally grown bands.

Music

Blogocracy

By Mikey Francis | July 29th, 2010

Music blogs transfer taste-making from the elites to the masses, but some blogs are more equal than others

It’s no secret that times are tough for music magazines. Ever since the Internet, music fans have been shifting the ways in which they learn about music. Music blogs, with their ability to deliver much more than words, seem to be at the forefront of that exploration. Whether they are simple, one-man operations or fully staffed online companies, music blogs give everybody a voice.

Art

Tailor-Made Art

By T.R. Witcher | July 29th, 2010

An architect brings his eye for detail to his new career as a painter

When Michael P. Thieme moved to Las Vegas in 2005, he did so as an architect. He joined SH Architecture and helped design, among other buildings, the cutting-edge Cashman Equipment building on St. Rose Parkway. A year and a half later he’d moved on to interior design firm Parker Scaggiari and was involved in an ambitious renovation of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Then the economy tanked, and the architect was out of work.

Bookini

Gary Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story

By M. Scott Krause | July 29th, 2010

Satire is never easy, but it’s a particularly tough sell during the summer months. By mid-July, most everyone is ready to turn off their brains and enjoy some passive entertainment. But before you gorge yourself on techno-thrillers and chick lit, or pickle your cortex with frozen margaritas, do yourself a favor and consider adding Gary Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story (Random House, $26) to your beach bag.

Reading

The Librarian Loves ...

July 29th, 2010

Selected by Jeanne Goodrich, executive director for the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District.

We live in a rush-rush world, bombarded by the latest news, celebrity gossip and political ads; we’re pulled by trends and pushed by an erratic economy. Slow down, take a break and turn to your contemplative side with Vietnamese monk and Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh’s Living Buddha, Living Christ (Riverhead Trade, 2007).