Features

2010 Fall A&E Preview

Yeah, we have it all.

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Illustration: Ryan Olbrysh

September

THEATER: Greater Tuna, Las Vegas Little Theatre There must be something in the air, with two of the more established theaters around tackling this play (also September 18-October 23 at the Utah Shakespearean Festival). It's not exactly cutting-edge, but if the idea of two guys playing 20-some different characters — with all the quick changes and cross-dressing that implies — doesn't bring a smile to your face, may we suggest taking the stick out of your ass. Through Sept. 25

THEATER: The Foreigner, British National Theatre of America When a shy tourist can't speak, he finds himself privy to all sorts of secrets in a Southern town. This comedy about small-town America closes out the Super Summer Theatre, and should introduce a much bigger crowd to the talent behind the BNTA. Through Sept. 25

CLASSICAL MUSIC: Masterworks I, Las Vegas Philharmonic The Phil opens its season with a program featuring cellist Julie Albers and works by Beethoven, Berlioz and Elgar. Saturday, Sept. 11

ALBUM Brandon Flowers, Flamingo (Sept. 14)

At a recent solo show, the Killers frontman covered Kim Carnes' '80s swoon "Bette Davis Eyes." That song's driving forces — pillowy synths, sweeping lyrical drama and soft-glow electronic beats — appear to match the musical ambition of Flowers' solo debut. Produced by expert studio trio Brendan O'Brien, Daniel Lanois and Stuart Price, it's a collection of futuristic pop songs primed for radio and dance remixes. The slick, piano-freckled "Hard Enough" finds Flowers dueting with Jenny Lewis, while "Only the Young" is a dead-ringer for modern-era U2, from Flowers' falsetto down to the burbling electronic sheen. —Annie Zaleski

BOOK: A Secret Kept, by Tatiana de Rosnay The Parisian author's follow-up to her bestselling Sarah's Key is again about family secrets plumbed from the distance of years. Tuesday, Sept. 14

FINE ART: Sush Machida, CENTERpiece Gallery The Locals Only series continues at CityCenter's art hub, with Las Vegas' first solo show of works by the widely collected and exhibited artist. Thursday, Sept. 16 and Friday, Sept. 17

The Addicts

The Addicts

CONCERT: Neon Reverb festival The Walkmen. The Soft Pack. Crocodiles. Percee P. Dilated Peoples' Rakaa. The Adicts. The Downtown-centered music fest's third fall installment (fifth overall) will feature its most impressive out-of-town lineup yet, to go with its typically dependable delegation from the city's ever-improving local scene. Thursday, Sept. 16 through Sunday, Sept. 19

COMEDY: Margaret Cho at the Pearl At this point, tattoos are the only thing Margaret Cho seems to have amassed more of than concert films. The comic and Dancing With the Stars contestant's latest go-round, the four-month "Cho Dependent" tour, features musical numbers along with her more "traditional" brand of take-no-prisoners social criticism. Friday, Sept. 17

FILM: The Town Ben Affleck proved himself a skilled writer-director of crime dramas with 2007's Gone Baby Gone, and here he returns as director, co-writer and star of a thriller about a group of bank robbers, with an impressive cast that also includes Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner and Chris Cooper. Friday, Sept. 17

THEATER: Fool for Love, Nevada Conservatory Theatre Friday, Sept. 17 through Sunday, Sept. 26

THEATER: Fuddy Meers, Black Box Theatre Friday, Sept. 17 through Thursday, Sept. 30

Steve Buscemi in Boardwalk Empire

TV: Boardwalk Empire Martin Scorsese directed the pilot for this drama about Atlantic City gangsters in the 1920s, created by former Sopranos writer Terence Winter. The pedigree is impeccable, the cast (including Steve Buscemi and Michael Pitt) is outstanding, and while it starts a little slowly, Boardwalk Empire has loads of promise. (HBO, Sundays, 9 p.m., starting Sept. 19)

TV: Lonestar This drama about a Texas con artist juggling two families can get a little melodramatic, but it sets up enough twists and betrayals in its first episode to easily fuel a whole season of soap-opera excitement. (Fox, Mondays, 9 p.m., starting Sept. 20)

TV: Raising Hope My Name Is Earl creator Greg Garcia delivers essentially Earl 2.0 with this sitcom about a lovable-but-dim loser suddenly saddled with raising his newborn child. The laughs in the first episode are sporadic, but Garcia has a knack for creating memorable, quirky characters, and it'll be worth seeing what he has to offer. (Fox, Tuesdays, 9 p.m., starting Sept. 21)

CONCERTS: Indie Week (September 22-29)

Snuggled between mid-September's Neon Reverb festival and early October's Matador birthday bash comes a six-show parade that proves Vegas is, at long last, on the radar of alternative-music promoters. It begins with a choice sure to give electro-pop fans fits: New York instrumental duo Ratatat (House of Blues) vs. French hitmakers Phoenix (The Pearl), both on September 22. In the latter's favor, chillwave opener Neon Indian. Next up, a bicoastal double brainmelter, with San Fran's psychedelic Sleepy Sun and New York's spacey White Hills set to team September 24 at Beauty Bar. Then it's the big one — that Pixies show we've been waiting for since the reunited Boston foursome ditched out on its scheduled Vegas date in 2004. Assuming this gig, September 25 at the Joint, holds, you'll also get a look at the opening Fuck Buttons, who straddle the dance/noise line like few others. Quality support is also on tap for Band of Horses' September 27 date at the Joint, with indie supergroup Admiral Radley (featuring members of Grandaddy and Earlimart) and LA psych-rockers Darker My Love set to join the rootsy Horse men. And wrapping up our city's own, unofficial Pitchforkfest, polarizing New York popsters Vampire Weekend, with help from dreamy Baltimore duo Beach House. And they said Salt Lake City was more hipster-friendly than Vegas. —Spencer Patterson

TV: Undercovers (NBC, Wednesdays, 8 p.m., starting Sept. 22)

Undercovers

Producer J.J. Abrams is known for complex genre shows such as Alias, Lost and Fringe, and on the surface his new series, about a husband-and-wife spy team who own a catering company by day, seems like it would fall into the same category. But Abrams has promised more self-contained spy missions on this show, and the first episode (which Abrams directed and co-wrote) is indeed a rather breezy and fast-paced stand-alone story. The crisp, witty dialogue and exciting action scenes easily make up for any lack of master narrative, and the actors, including Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as the main couple, are charming and loads of fun to watch. Alias and Fringe both started with self-contained episodes before moving on to more serialized stories, but whichever way Undercovers goes, it looks to be the most entertaining new show of the season. —Josh Bell

CONCERT: Big Boi at the Palms pool He's got a fresh new album to work with — not to mention a few hits by a group you mighta heard called OutKast. Friday, Sept. 24

FILM: Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps Oliver Stone's long-awaited sequel to his '80s capitalist-excess classic arrives at just the right time thanks to the global financial crisis. Michael Douglas returns as ruthless financier Gordon Gekko; Shia LaBeouf co-stars as his young protégé. Friday, Sept. 24

COMEDY: Jim Gaffigan at the Mirage "We laughed, and there before us was a pale road horse. And his name was Jim Gaffigan, and 'Hell yeah!' followed with him." Because, really, who in their right mind wouldn't want to behold the deliciously awkward stand-up apocalypse he will unleash over the course of two nights? Friday, Sept. 24 and Saturday, Sept. 25

THEATER: Warmouth, Insurgo Theater Movement Local writer Ernie Crucio's new play kicks off the season for Insurgo. Friday, Sept. 24 through Saturday, Oct. 9

No Ordinary Family

CLASSICAL MUSIC: Coast to Coast, Nevada Pops Featuring a collection of Broadway, jazz, blues and Hollywood music, with guest performer Laura Taylor. Saturday, Sept. 25

ALBUM: Kenny Chesney, Hemmingway's Whiskey Cool title, dude. Tuesday, Sept. 28

ALBUM: Neil Young, Le Noise Ditto. Tuesday, Sept. 28

TV: No Ordinary Family Combining Brothers & Sisters with Heroes (and a dash of The Incredibles), this story of a family of superheroes deftly balances warm family moments with superpowered action, and its first episode hints at a wondrous world for it to explore. (ABC, Tuesdays, 8 p.m., starting Sept. 28)

FINE ART: Let's Build a Nation, Contemporary Arts Center The CAC transforms its gallery into a themed hotel-casino/sovereign nation with its own identity, symbols and history. Wednesday, Sept. 29 through Thursday, Oct. 28

CLASSICAL MUSIC: Charles Vanda Master Series, UNLV Symphony Orchestra with Hilary Hahn and Natasha Paremski Performing Tchaikovsky's "Violin Concerto" and Brahms' "Piano Concerto No. 1." Thursday, Sept. 30

October

FILM: The Social Network (Friday, Oct. 1)

The Social Network

The announcement that David Fincher would direct a movie about the founding of Facebook seemed like some sort of joke at first, given the typically dark subject matter of his films (Seven, Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and his precise, meticulous visual style. But the extraordinarily well-crafted trailers for The Social Network have shown it to be just as dark as Fincher's other work, focusing on the ruthlessness of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. In its attention to procedural detail and the madness of minutiae, The Social Network just might be a worthy companion to Fincher's 2007 masterpiece Zodiac. It looks like Fincher knew what he was doing all along. —Josh Bell

FILM: Let Me In The 2008 Swedish vampire film Let the Right One In was creepy, foreboding and atmospheric with an uncompromisingly bleak take on childhood. One might expect an American remake to chuck all that in favor of jolts and gore, but this new version looks surprisingly faithful. Friday, Oct. 1

Yo La Tengo

CONCERT: Matador at 21: The Lost Weekend at the Palms Liz Phair, The Clean and Times New Viking have been added to the fest. 'Cause, you know, Pavement, Guided By Voices, Sonic Youth, Belle & Sebastian, Cat Power, Yo La Tengo, Spoon, The New Pornographers and the rest of the original lineup definitely had folks holding out for more. Friday, Oct. 1 to Sunday, Oct. 3

CLASSIC MUSIC: A Tribute to Frank Sinatra, Las Vegas Philharmonic The Phil launches its pops season. Saturday, Oct. 2

FOOTBALL: Nevada-Reno at UNLV Intrastate rivalry time. Saturday, Oct. 2

PARTY: DJ Times America's Best DJ Awards at the Palms Who's the best of the best among American-based DJs? Or, should we say, who's the best at getting out the vote? In order: Qbert, Kaskade and A-Trak, we're told — 2009 winner Z-Trip hands over his title during a Ghostbar ceremony before the wrap party at Rain. Saturday, Oct. 2

ALBUM: Ne-Yo, Libra Scale We love that the R&B star grew up in Las Vegas, but even more, we love that his new music reportedly was influenced by 1) science fiction, 2) comic books, 3) Japanese animation and 4) Michael Jackson. Tuesday, Oct. 5

Jabbawockeez.

Jabbawockeez.

RESIDENCY: Jabbawockeez begins run at Monte Carlo You wanted it, you got it. After proving their drawing power with a limited engagement at MGM, the powerhouse dance crew hunkers down on the Strip — indefinitely. Thursday, Oct. 7

FILM: Never Let Me Go How about a cross between Michael Bay's The Island and The Remains of the Day? Based on a novel by Day author Kazuo Ishiguro, this drama from music video auteur Mark Romanek combines the sci-fi concepts of Bay's action extravaganza with the drawing-room angst of a Merchant Ivory production, and stars Oscar-friendly actresses Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan. Friday, Oct. 8

THEATER: Titus Andronicus, Insurgo Theater Movement Maythinee Washington, a local movement-oriented artist, directs Shakespeare's gorefest. Friday, Oct. 8 through Saturday, Oct. 30

BOOK: At Home, by Bill Bryson The author, a wry observer of language and customs, has traveled widely, but here he confines himself to his English parsonage house, divining world history from everyday objects. Sunday, Oct. 10

ALBUM: Sufjan Stevens, The Age of Adz The sweet-voiced indie folkster's never gonna hit all 50 states releasing one full-length every five years. So enjoy Michigan and Illinois, and prepare to embrace whatever Stevens' next phase might sound like. Tuesday, Oct. 12

CONCERT: LCD Soundsystem at the Pearl Never thought we'd see James Murphy rock a Vegas casino (touring behind a powerhouse 2010 album, no less), but strange things are afoot here this fall. Pretty sure a pig just flew past our offices. Tuesday, Oct. 12

FINE ART: Off the Strip, Downtown venues (Oct. 14-16)

A scene from the 2009 edition of <em>Off the Strip</em>

A scene from the 2009 edition of Off the Strip

Last year the Contemporary Arts Center gave the arts community something it sorely lacked: two weeks of provocative video and performance art, ranging from the lighthearted to the strangely experimental, thoughtfully disturbing and beautifully presented. Thankfully, they're bringing it back — three days of work from 25 local, national and international artists. Held at various locations, including the Beat Coffeehouse, Atomic Testing Museum, Aruba Hotel, Sci Fi Center and CAC, Off the Strip aims to explore consumption, visual spectacle, sexuality displayed, atomic testing and "Las Vegas as a global hub." —Kristen Peterson

FOOTBALL: Las Vegas High at Rancho High Vegas has beaten its rival 14 straight times, but the Bone Game isn't just about the final score. No matter where the teams sit in the standings, emotions run high and alumni fill the stands whenever the two longtime institutions meet up. Friday, Oct. 15

Deadmau5

PARTY: Deadmau5 at Body English Missing Body English since it closed its doors on New Year's Eve? It'll reopen for least for one more night, when the mouse-headed Canadian brings his Unhooked tour to town. Friday, Oct. 15

DANCE: An Unprecedented Event, Nevada Ballet Theatre Ballet West, Aspen Sante Fe Ballet and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago join NBT for its opening weekend. Friday, Oct. 15 to Sunday, Oct. 17

CONCERT: Alice in Chains, Deftones & Mastodon at the Joint Saturday, Oct. 16

ALBUM: Sugarland, The Incredible Machine Although early reports promised a steampunk theme for the country-pop duo's fourth album, it looks like Victorian sci-fi will be limited to the band's visuals. Still, some new elements will likely be injected into the group's music; already lead single "Stuck Like Glue" has grabbed attention for its reggae influences. Tuesday, Oct. 19

CONCERT: Slayer, Megadeth & Anthrax at the Pearl In June, the three bands — plus Metallica — played to a crowd of 45,000 in Bulgaria, as thrash metal's legendary Big Four took the same stage on the same day for the first time. Trading Metallica for a chance to see a Big Three in the intimate Pearl? Seems like a pretty good deal from here. Wednesday, Oct. 20

CONCERT: Interpol at the Joint Sure, we'll miss Carlos D's gun holsters and creepy-thin-man vibe, but he ditched that routine a few years back, anyway. Musically speaking, we're eager to see what indie icon David Pajo and The Secret Machines' Benjamin Curtis bring to the band onstage. Friday, Oct. 22

FILM: Hereafter Clint Eastwood isn't the first guy you'd think of to direct a supernatural thriller, but he's become such a filmmaking machine that all he really needs is a solid script and a talented cast, which he should have here thanks to writer Peter Morgan (The Queen) and star Matt Damon. Friday, Oct. 22

UFC fighter Brock Lesnar

UFC fighter Brock Lesnar

FILM: Paranormal Activity 2 Why is there a sequel to no-budget sensation Paranormal Activity? The answer begins with "M" and rhymes with "honey," but maybe some guys who had nothing to do with the first movie can recapture its unexpected acclaim and popularity. Stranger things have happened. Friday, Oct. 22

FIGHT: UFC 121 in Anaheim, California Something out of the norm seems to happen every time heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar steps into the octagon, but he's not the only reason to buy the pay-per-view. Tito Ortiz, one of the sport's most popular figures, is also on the card, as is fighter Jake Shields, who makes his much-anticipated UFC debut. Saturday, Oct. 23

ALBUM: Taylor Swift, Speak Now The country-pop singer-songwriter takes charge on her third album, with solo writing credits on all 14 tracks. Expect her trademark slick hooks and intimate lyrics; she's said that "each song is a different confession to a person." Monday, Oct. 25

FILM: Conviction Hilary Swank angles for her third Oscar as a real-life woman who put herself through college and law school just so she could become a lawyer and overturn her brother's wrongful murder conviction. Expect lots of speeches. Friday, Oct. 29

Go. Fight. Win.

Go. Fight. Win.

FOOTBALL: Texas Christian at UNLV A late-October home game typically means the same thing for the Rebels: a sub-.500 squad playing in a half-filled stadium. That probably won't be the case against TCU ... at least, not the half-filled stadium part. The Horned Frogs are ranked No. 4 in the AP poll and should be undefeated when they roll into town. As for UNLV's chances, consider TCU has beaten the Rebels by a combined 85-14 score the past two years. Saturday, Oct. 30

PARTY: Fabulous Festival at Orleans Arena Returning to original home the Orleans Arena, the third-year electronic-music gathering welcomes Bad Boy Bill, Eddie Halliwell, Claude VonStroke and lots of others, including Vegas' own Afghan Raiders. Saturday, Oct. 30

PARTY: Swedish House Mafia at the Joint The trio behind the summer's house-music hit, "One," headlines Halloween. Sunday, Oct. 31

November

ALBUM: Escape the Fate, Escape the Fate Judging from the 40,000-plus plays new song "Massacre" drew in its first 24 hours on MySpace, the screamy Vegas outfit appears poised for one helluva crazed reception when its first album for Interscope hits the streets. Tuesday, Nov. 2

BOOK: Must You Go?, by Antonia Fraser The biographer was married to British playwright Harold Pinter for 33 years, until his death in 2008; this is her portrait of the marriage of two great talents. Tuesday, Nov. 2

BOOKS: Vegas Valley Book Festival, Fifth Street School Featuring panel discussions, book signings, workshops and keynote speakers T.C. Boyle and Dennis Lehane. Wednesday, Nov. 3 to Sunday, Nov. 7

FINE ART: Thomas Willis, Trifecta Gallery He enchanted us with his anamorphic terrains and blew our minds with his finely detailed representational renderings burned into paper. See more from Willis in Collected and Represented. Thursday, Nov. 4 to Saturday, Nov. 27

FINE ART: Emily Kennerk, Donna Beam Fine Art Gallery The artist and UNLV sculpture professor, known for large-scale, three-dimensional works on home and environment (her current foreclosures exhibit at CAC ends Sept. 18), presents new works inspired by past and present "how to" instructions. Thursday, Nov. 4 to Wednesday, Dec. 15

127 Hours

FILM: 127 Hours (Friday, Nov. 5)

Filmmakers often enjoy the challenge of shooting an entire film in a single tiny location; from Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat and Rope to the more recent Phone Booth, these experiments always possess a certain formal fascination, regardless of whether they work as drama. Usually, however, the protagonist can at least move around. With 127 Hours, Danny Boyle, who made his name shooting Ewan McGregor hauling ass to "Lust for Life" in Trainspotting, has chosen to take on the real-life saga of Aron Ralston (played by James Franco), the hiker who was forced to amputate his own arm when it was crushed by a boulder in the middle of nowhere. Can those five harrowing but stationary days translate into a gripping motion picture? Dunno about you, but I can't wait to find out. —Mike D'Angelo

FILM: Due Date The Hangover director Todd Phillips and co-star Zach Galifianakis reunite for the story of a man (Robert Downey Jr.) desperate to get across the country in time for his child's birth and saddled with an annoying sidekick (Galifianakis) along the way. It's Planes, Trains and Automobiles for a new generation (maybe). Friday, Nov. 5

THEATER: Doubt, Las Vegas Little Theatre Friday, Nov. 5 to Sunday, Nov. 21

CONCERT: Drake with Clipse at the Joint Who's hotter than the Canadian crossover star at the moment? Wrong. Drake rules all, with three songs among the top 13 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hip chart at press time. Also, Clipse opens, in case you wanted some coke rap with your Degrassi. Saturday, Nov. 6

Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol. 1

BOOK: The Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol. 1 (Monday, Nov. 15)

Pity George W. Bush. Pity any author this fall, destined to land a book in the shadow of Mark Twain, but Bush becomes one by publishing his memoir a week ahead of Twain's. To be fair, the author of Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer and Life on the Mississippi goosed the odds by making the world wait 100 years. Twain, who died in 1910, spent the last decade of his life composing The Autobiography of Mark Twain, and left handwritten notes requesting the century delay. This is the first of three volumes, together totaling about one million words. —Chuck Twardy

REISSUE: Bruce Springsteen, Darkness on the Edge of Town The 10-song 1978 classic gets expanded to a whopping six discs (three CDs and three DVDs). Studio outtakes and live video galore, plus a making-of doc that debuts at the Toronto Film Fest this month. Oh yeah, and a looong overdue remaster of the original. Tuesday, Nov. 16

ALBUM: Kanye West, Dark Twisted Fantasy It was supposed to be titled Good Ass Job. Now it's Twisted Fantasy. Whatever. It's Kanye, and we're all gonna buy it. Tuesday, Nov. 16

FILM: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 Yes, the final installment in the Harry Potter series is so epic it had to be split into two parts. This first part will set up the ultimate battle between Harry and the evil wizard Voldemort and will no doubt end on a cliffhanger, leading to the final, final part, which will be released next summer. Friday, Nov. 19

BASKETBALL: Wisconsin at UNLV This early-season non-conference test should provide a good gauge for a Rebels team still unsure of its lineup. Senior Kendall Wallace's torn ACL is just the latest setback in a rough offseason for Las Vegas' most-followed sports entity. No matter who Coach Kruger sends onto the court for this afternoon game, though, we know one thing: The T&M will get loud. Saturday, Nov. 20

BOOK: Colonel Roosevelt, by Edmund Morris The author won notoriety in 1999 by fictionalizing his Ronald Reagan biography, but scholars know him better for his work on Teddy Roosevelt, to whom he returns here, completing a trilogy. Sunday, Nov. 21

SOUNDTRACK Daft Punk, Tron: Legacy Everything the French duo records is worth hearing. When the DP robots rub shoulders with the robots of Tron, well, that's some next-level futurism right there. Tuesday, Nov. 23

Christina Aguilera in Burlesque

FILM: Burlesque This rock musical about striptease dancers starring Christina Aguilera and Cher and directed by Robin Antin's brother will either be the awesomest thing ever or the next Showgirls — or perhaps both. Wednesday, Nov. 24

CONCERT: Roger Waters at MGM Grand Anyone in the house for 2007's Dark Side of the Moon MGM throwdown will tell you, Waters' shows remain can't-miss spectacles in every sense of the word. This time, he's bringing The Wall. Yeah, the whole freaking thing. Friday, Nov. 26

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