Journalism

It was either last New Year’s Eve or last Christmas (I’m leaning toward the former), in the midst of one of the fab parties thrown at the Reza-Linklater Mid-Mod House of Fabulousness, that I accidentally pitched to Desert Companion editor Andrew Kiraly a first-person story about a pacifistic writer (me) attempting to learn one of the world’s most primal fighting styles (Krav Maga). I may have been fueled by spirits, I may have been encouraged by Krav Maga instructor/restauranteur/dancer Kirk Offerle, who was proselytizing Krav Maga to me at that very party, but whatever the impetus, I had an assignment from Andrew and a mission to accomplish.

The not-so-wacky-but-pretty-pathetic outcome of that mission can finally (FINALLY!) be read about in the latest issue of Desert Companion, which hit mailboxes and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf newsstands this week. The three-page journey is accompanied by an illustration by my good friend Hernan Valencia, whose fabulous work has also graced my words in Vegas Seven, and of course, on many covers of The Utopian. So, go read it, learn something, and then you can go about your day.

Autumn is finally here. I mean, yeah, it allegedly started about two weeks ago, but as the autumnal solstice or whatever was arbitrarily demarcating our seasonal shift from summer to fall, it was still 99 degrees here in shiny Las Vegas, so no one really noticed. But this morning, it was 63 degrees, and I am wearing my first sweater in six or more months, so I can finally declare: Fall is here.

The other way I know autumn has arrived? The new issue of M life magazine is now available at MGM Resorts properties (and online). Yes, the immortal Michael Jackson is on the cover there, but inside, the not-so-immortal Pj Perez has taken over the nightlife section once again, this time reporting on the wide selection of casino lounges and bars offered in this great city — and a few others.

Interestingly, this particular assignment was, for me, basically an updated, print version of what I used to do every day when I managed the content for VEGAS.com’s nightlife sections, especially the bars sub-section, which required a lot of regular maintenance and, yes, rigorous research. Of course, the irony is that back in those days, I didn’t drink, which kind-of helped, because I could report on the atmosphere and details of a venue with clarity, but I could only report on the actual drink selection based on hearsay (and press releases).

So now I’ve written about nightclubs and lounges for M life. Too bad casinos don’t have strip clubs (yet), or else I could secure the trifecta.

I’ve known for months about Alternate Reality Comics owner Ralph Mathieu’s plan to convert the old dressing rooms in his retail space into an art gallery, so I was pretty happy when my Vegas Seven editor (and good friend) Cindi Reed gave me space to write about its opening in this week’s edition of the magazine.

In truth, this was supposed to be just a blurb in the Fall A&E Preview issue a few weeks ago, but it was rescheduled, which meant I could actually spend more space and time on it. That was fine by me, because I had to cut out a lot of material, mostly about the delightful, talented and charming curator of the new gallery space, Michelle Irish. While the concept for the “Artist Spotlight” was conceived by another Alternate Reality employee, Paul Tompkins, Michelle is the one who ran with it. But I guess you can read more about that in the article, huh?

I just wrapped up two other editorial pieces and an illustration commission, so hopefully you’ll be seeing/hearing more about that stuff soon. Otherwise, I’ve had my head down as I forge ahead with Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival-related projects, a few of which I’ll be blogging about here very soon, including the opening reception for “Seduction of the Innocent,” an art show celebrating Banned Books Week that happens next Friday. Stay tuned.

It’s been a while since I’ve written about a nightclub, let alone the nightlife scene in general. It may be hard to believe right now, knowing me as the artsy-fartsy, mom-and-pop-patronizing guy you all know and love, but back in the earl 2000s, I actually covered a lot of nightlife for the CityLife, and ran the nightlife section of LVLocalMusicScene.com. This was back in the C2K-Baby’s-Ra era, and I was already entrenched in the scene from a combination of old-school underground party promoting and helping my ex-wife run oxygen bars in the then-new-school megaclubs. So it was a short jump from that to reporting on the nocturnal goings-on, and it also helped break me out of the local music writing ghetto.

Of course, later on, I’d spend a lot more time in nightclubs when I ran the nightclubs section of VEGAS.com, and eventually when I had access to VIP tables regularly as editor of Racket (a topic we’ll come back to one day), which led into my stint helping launch DailyFiasco.com, itself heavily focused on mainstream clubbing. But since leaving DailyFiasco three years ago, I’ve focused mostly on writing about what most pleases me: art, music and geek culture, and I’ve only stepped into a nightclub once or twice a year for special events.

I have to admit, though, I’m pleased with what turned out to be my first assignment for M life, MGM Resorts’ in-house quarterly magazine. It’s a feature (and a well-designed one, see below) about the resurgence of the DJ in Las Vegas nightlife, and while, yes, it explores only MGM Resorts day- and nightclubs, I was happy to write an article about parties where the focus isn’t on celebrity hosts or tired promotions. Not only is the DJ making a comeback, but so are once-marginalized musical styles such as house and trance, which were relegated to side rooms and off-night promotions for years in lieu of Top 40, hip-hop and mash-ups. If I could stand to put up with the people and the pricing, I’d almost actually willingly go to one of the DJ parties about which I wrote in the article!

When The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas first opened, and a good chunk of my friends and acquaintances gushed over its restaurants, live entertainment and general vibe, my initial reaction was — as it is to most new hotel-casino developments in Las Vegas — simply “meh.” Look, I’ve lived here 20 years, I’ve been in the swankest of suites, the poshest of parties, the douchiest of nightclubs … I’ll admit it, I’m jaded. I like new and shiny stuff as much as the next guy, but I had no reason to visit the Cosmopolitan, located in the same glut of the Strip that CityCenter calls home.

My first time there, finally, was a few months ago to attend the opening reception for local artist Steven Spaan’s “Trash=Art” show at the P3 Studio. Yes, that’s right: The Cosmopolitan’s plan to draw local aesthetes otherwise uninterested in nightlife or gaming to a Strip resort worked. This place was definitely designed with hipsters in mind, from the underground parking structure’s graffiti-art walls and the pool tables in the common areas to the Art-o-Matic vending machine and the nameless, hidden pizza joint that serves PBR. I liked it enough, though when the girlfriend and I tried to find somewhere to eat that wasn’t too fancy but wasn’t pizza, it became a bit of a challenge, because we’re simple people and the menus of even the tapas and Mexican-Chinese fusion places were a bit challenging.

When I returned to the Cosmopolitan on a lazy-ish Saturday afternoon to do my reporting for this week’s Vegas Seven article on Kidrobot’s summer takeover of P3 Studio, I found myself warming up even more to the place. After spending some time in the cool little Kidrobot store and chatting with Frank Kozik in the studio, I headed down the escalators of the Chandelier Bar to grab a drink while I reviewed my notes. The bar was mostly filled with a mix of people (though mostly under 30), but I grabbed an open spot between an old man and two young women. The bartender, a younger guy himself, had an old-school charm, seeming genuinely interested in the welfare of his patrons. He made me a perfect drink, checked in on each of the other customers and made some weak attempts at flirty humor with the girls next to me. He asked about what I was writing and how the interview went. It was … nice.

I know that the Cosmopolitan’s inviting nature to decidedly non-gambling 20- and 30-somethings hasn’t helped it’s bottom line much, despite being insanely popular (read this excellent feature in VEGAS INC for more on that), so my enjoyment of the space without being inclined to empty my wallets doesn’t help them much. But I can dig what’s going on there, and the attention put into the little things. Like a well-crafted cocktail. A friendly bartender. Or a store full of vinyl toys chomping cigars.

More than a year ago, when DAVID Magazine was just getting launched, then-editor Martin Stein asked if I’d be interested in writing a story about gay Jews in Las Vegas. That was it. There was no specific angle or approach suggested, just “gay Jews.” I was intrigued by the offer, and ideas bounced around between us via email for a few months before I actually was able to schedule in the assigned story, which at that point was slated for the December 2010 issue. I did my research, my interviews, and by the time I turned in the finished article in October, two things happened: 1. The magazine was transitioning to a new editor, and 2. The story had been rescheduled for the following June. So last month, I had to go back, re-interview some subjects, talk with new ones, and update the story concurrently. And now, finally, after a year of development, my 2,500-word cover story on being gay and Jewish in Las Vegas has hit the pages of DAVID. You can see a small Flash preview here, or pick up a free copy somewhere out there in Vegasland.

I learned a lot about both the state of the local Jewish community and how homosexuality is viewed from Judaism’s various disciplines. While everyone’s experience in the article is different, there did seem to be an overall feeling of “live and let live” among the Jewish people in regards to the sexuality of fellow Jews, and even some of the Conservative shuls and families seem far more accepting than respective Christian denominations. Interestingly, in Israel, where you’d expect there to be the most religious scrutiny, the divisions and stigma often surrounding homosexuality here in the United States seem to be non-existant, at least in the experiences relayed to me second hand.

Anyway, if you can find a copy, it might be worth a read. I mean, I did spend a year writing it!

The crazy thing about finishing up this past weekend’s 48 Hour Film Project — I mean, aside from the whole process — is that after barely meeting the deadline and turning in our film, I couldn’t just relax and celebrate. I had another deadline looming: An article documenting my film making experience for Vegas Seven.

I didn’t plan to do something like this. Arts & Entertainment Editor Cindi Reed saw me post on Twitter about entering the competition, and then asked me if I’d be interested in writing first-person about the experience. I offered to do a journal-style report. Unfortunately, there was no time throughout the weekend to actually keep a journal. So it ended up being something more like a retrospective account. But I think it’s pretty entertaining and indicative of the controlled chaos of the weekend. The art director at Seven made a really nice two-page spread, so if you can’t pick up a free print edition, check out the interactive digital edition.

Our film did have its premiere last night at the Century 16 Suncoast theaters, and it went pretty well. As well, the short film itself is posted online now. That video — along with photos from last night’s festivities and a lot of other content you might enjoy — is on the Mechanical Cow productions page. Like us, won’t you? You’ll thank me later.