Top 10 things to do this week in Las Vegas
Alanis Morisette, a Unicon fan event and a lantern festival highlight things to do in and around the Las Vegas Valley this week.
MUSIC
1. Alanis Morissette
You outta know that the ’90s were a time of female comeuppance in the music business, from the launch of the woman-centric Lilith Fair festival to the emergence of the riot grrl movement. And one of the engines powering it all was Alanis Morissette, whose smash 1994 album “Jagged Little Pill” was a confident collection of woman-in-control anthems that ended up becoming one of the top-selling albums of the decade. See her with fellow female-fronted alt-rock acts Garbage and Cat Power at 7 p.m. Saturday at T-Mobile Arena, 3780 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Tickets start at $59; axs.com.
— Jason Bracelin
FESTIVAL
2. Henderson Hot Rod Days
Hundreds of classic vehicles will pack the Water Street Plaza in downtown Henderson this weekend, but there will be plenty of metal on stage, too. Headliner Asia featuring John Payne will perform on the main stage at 8 p.m. Friday. The festival itself runs from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, when there will be entertainment by three more live music acts and the car show awards at 7 p.m. Both days will involve viewings of classic, custom and muscle cars, as well as food and drink. Admission to the festival and Asia’s standing-room-only performance are free; car show registration is $25 in advance or $40 day of. Pre-register at bouldercitycruisin.com.
— Heidi Knapp Rinella
MOVIE
3. ‘The Many Saints of Newark’
It’s been more than 14 years since “The Sopranos” faded to black, leaving fans wondering what happened to Tony Soprano. Given James Gandolfini’s untimely death in 2013, we’ll probably never know. But we can see how Tony Soprano came to be, through Gandolfini’s son Michael, in the prequel movie “The Many Saints of Newark.” See it starting Friday in theaters and on HBO Max.
— Christopher Lawrence
MUSIC
4. Ween
Is there any genre of music that Ween hasn’t yet smudged with its gooey fingerprints? Country, funk, punk, prog rock, Latin, songs that sound like helium-enhanced children’s tunes — aside from death metal, this bunch has pretty much done it all. (Also, a Ween death metal album would be great). Immerse yourself fully in the band’s seriously far-out, Jupiter-orbiting catalog when Ween hits town for three shows at 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday at Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Tickets are $59.50; brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas.
— Jason Bracelin
DRINK FOR GOOD
5. Bee’s Knees Week
Oh, the poor bumblebees! They play a crucial role in our food supply, yet they’re ever more imperiled. But you can help: Barr Hill Gin sponsors Bee’s Knees Week, which celebrates twists on the classic cocktail. Drink a Not the Beeeees!! at Sparrow + Wolf, 4480 Spring Mountain Road, or a classic Bee’s Knees at Lotus of Siam, 953 E. Sahara Ave., by Sunday; for every cocktail posted on social media tagged #beeskneesweek and @barrhillgin, the company will plant 10 square feet of bee habitat. Visit caledoniaspirits.com for more info.
— Heidi Knapp Rinella
FESTIVAL
6. Rise Festival
Lofting a lit lantern into the night sky along with hundreds of other people, those rising pods of flickering light — that’s gotta feel cathartic, particularly after the last year and a half. Add music, food and the vastness of the Jean dry lake, and it sounds like a capital-E Experience. Tickets are $119 for Friday night, $169 for Saturday night, plus $30 for parking (there’s also a shuttle service, for an additional fee, departing from Mandalay Bay). Tickets and info at risefestival.com.
— Scott Dickensheets
FAMILY
7. ‘The Neverending Story (Atreyu and the Great Quest)’
Like most great adventures, this one begins by opening a book. But the text that a child named Bastian discovers in an odd bookshop sets him off on an adventure like no other. See how it all unfolds in Rainbow Company Youth Theatre’s production of “The Neverending Story (Atreyu and the Great Quest),” which opens Friday and runs through Oct. 10 at the Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 S. Brush St. Showtimes are 7 p.m. for evening performances and 2 p.m. for matinees. Tickets are $6 (not including fee). Tickets and more information can be found at rainbowcompany.org or 702-229-ARTS (2787).
— John Przybys
COMEDY
8. Steve Hofstetter
You’ve seen him on YouTube, where his biting sociopolitical humor vids rack up the views. You’ve seen him on TV, where he says funny words to hosts. You’ve seen him on Twitter, where he tweets. Now’s your chance to see him at Fremont Country Club at 7 p.m. Tuesday — as long as you’re 21, of course. Tickets start at $25 at stevehofstetter.com.
— Scott Dickensheets
FOOD
9. Happy Ice truck
The Los Angeles-based Happy Ice truck will bring its artistic, premium vegan water ices to Las Vegas South Premium Outlets at Las Vegas Boulevard and Warm Springs Road from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Happy Ice, which makes a Philadelphia-style slushie/sorbet in flavors such as Rainbow Rocket and Sour Apple Lush, opened its first brick-and-mortar store on Melrose Avenue in L.A. in June 2020 and earned a following when owner Lemeir Mitchell handed out Happy Ice to Black Lives Matter protesters in Los Angeles last year. See happyicela.com.
— Heidi Knapp Rinella
CONVENTION
10. Unicon Las Vegas Comic Convention
Fans of toys, comics, sports, games, cards and cosplay can go wild at Unicon, which opens Friday at the Expo at World Market Center. In addition to exhibitors of all sorts, the schedule includes appearances by Jake “the Snake” Roberts, cinematic Flash Gordon Sam J. Jones, and Claudia Wells from “Back to the Future.” There’s also a cosplay contest. Hours are 2 to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $30 for a one-day pass at unicon.vegas.
— John Przybys
Looking for more things to do? Check out our searchable database of events, exhibits and restaurants around the Las Vegas Valley.
