Concerts

Depeche Mode at T-Mobile Arena, March 30

Between its reinvigorated takes on lesser-known bangers like “Wrong” and “John the Revelator” and rousing renditions of all-time bops like “Just Can’t Get Enough” and “Enjoy the Silence,” it was obvious that Depeche Mode came to Vegas ready to work and play hard. –Geoff Carter

Man or Astro-man? at the Wall at Area15, August 6

It’s been a minute since this wild, science fiction-inspired surf/garage rock band landed in Vegas, and they made it a close encounter worth remembering. It was the first time I’d ever heard of a song being composed for a dot-matrix printer, and likely the only time I’ll ever see such a song performed. –GC

U2 at Sphere, September 30

U2’s mind-melting, custom-built residency kicked off at Las Vegas’ most anticipated venue of the year, and it did not disappoint. Sphere’s 160,000-square-foot mega display took this cathartic concert to new heights, producing a visually stunning set that set the senses tingling. –Amber Sampson

Ken Mode at Artifice, March 17

This Winnipeg noise-rock outfit went beyond crowd expectations and had us hanging onto their every move. From dramatic pauses to explosive, drawn-out jams, the band poured their energy into a performance that left a lasting impression. –Gabriela Rodriguez

Frankie and the Witch Fingers at the Usual Place, September 9

LA’s psych-rockers gunned it at this frenetic show, where fans moshed to the jazz-punk leanings of 2023’s Data Doom and vocalist/rhythm guitarist Dylan Sizemore surfed the crowd. Frankie’s drummer, Nick Aguilar, was a timekeeping rockstar, propelling this groovy psych band through its witchiest era yet. –AS

The Night Beats at Vegas Stand Up & Rock, September 29

Although the venue itself felt like a dimly lit Applebee’s, when The Night Beats took the stage they transformed the space with psychedelic rock and roll. Heavily leaning into blues inspirations, the guitar riffs and utter musicianship had the crowd audibly saying, “Goddamn.” –GR

Blackwater Holy Light at the Usual Place, June 3

Portland’s all-female doom-psych outfit pioneered a moody expedition with this anticipated set. Listeners were awash with thick basslines, a slow burn of heavy music orchestrated by a nimble set of musicians who know their way around a moving and mournful melody.–AS

French Police at Artifice, September 7

Of all the shows I’ve attended at Artifice, this was the first time I’ve witnessed an entry line form around the building, and unsurprisingly, it was for French Police. The synth-pop indie group not only packed the venue but also had the audience in constant movement throughout their set. –GR

Remi Wolf at Brooklyn Bowl, April 17

The eccentric vocal powerhouse blew the roof off her first headlining show in Vegas. Pumping the crowd with a feral, almost childlike energy, Wolf surpassed expectations with a voice made for the big room and a confidence that belied her young age. –AS

Local Music

Past Self, “Little Death”

On this track, local dark wave experts transport listeners to a realm of sonic gloom while keeping the rhythm danceable. –GR

Moon-Ra feat. Kian The One, “Hills Go Wild”

The dramatic cello intro of “Hills Go Wild” cuts through the silence of the years that the files of the Lost & Found Suite EP were lost. The duo composed of Coco Jenkins and Uhmeesa found and shined up the almost-forgotten songs, including this one featuring local music producer Kian The One. –Shannon Miller

Hunter’s Briefcase, “Fiive”

A standout jam on the indie rock band’s Ghost on the Highway EP, “Fiive” distinguishes Hunter’s Briefcase as a grooving force of nature, equipped with a synergistic style that allows each bassline, high hat and distorted lick to be accentuated to the fullest. –AS

Viaje Nahual, “Cuatro”

This seven-minute track fully encapsulates Viaje Nahual’s unique sampling of psychedelia and cumbia, producing something as thrilling as it is rhythmic. And just when you think it’s slowing down, the song reinjects itself with its second wind. –AS

Jae Douglass, “Coy Leray”

Las Vegas rapper Jae Douglass reaffirms why he’s one of our best in this slickly produced track about chasing a coy woman. Making a clever nod to “Blick, Blick” rapper Coi Leray, Douglass navigates his situationship with finesse, turning this into a vibey cut we can’t seem to get out of our heads. –AS

Gallery & Stage

Justin Favela: Fantasia/Fantasy at Nuwu Art

When Nuwu Art’s Fawn Douglas introduced Justin Favela in January, she lauded his work for being “inspiring to so many people” and “f***ing badass.” This greatest-hits show of Favela’s paper art works, celebrating the release of his first book, demonstrated the truth of both statements. –GC

Stephanie Amon: Faces of Hip-Hop at Sahara West Library

Las Vegas artist Stephanie Amon did the 50-year legacy of hip-hop justice with this collection of more than 20 large-scale oil paintings of some of music’s greatest emcees. The 30-year-old portrait artist zeroed in on the details for this exhibit, encouraging us to see our favorite rappers in a new light. –AS

In Bloom at Bellagio Gallery of Fine Arts

Bellagio’s springtime exhibit ushered in a season of transformation, with provocative work from more than 20 global contemporary artists. Nick Cave’s infamous “Soundsuit,” along with Salvador Dali’s Alice in Wonderland sculpture, were some of the inspiring pieces on display. –AS

Majestic Repertory Theatre: Scream’d

We can’t say enough good things about this kooky, true-to-form horror movie musical based on the original Scream film. It leans fully into its camp, earning chuckles with its pop-culture packed dialogue and inane use of nostalgic ’90s music. –AS

Meow Meow at Myron’s

Meow Meow—born Melissa Madden Gray—delivers the kind of wild, funny cabaret show that Vegas needs more of. Name another chanteuse who can deliver a gorgeous rendition of Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees” one minute, and skillfully arrange male audience members into human furniture the next. –GC

Vegas Theatre Company: Abandon

Accompanied by a massive trigger warning at the door, Abandon went places no production in its right mind would go—and that’s what made it amazing. The fictitious and incredibly sexual story of a French noble kinkster was a shockingly good time and unlike anything we’ve seen since.–AS

Dita Las Vegas at Jubilee Theater

Dita Von Teese’s showgirl spectacular punches all the boxes. Want a glitzy, old-school Vegas revue, with feathered costumes tall enough to ensnare low-flying planes? Check. Want a down-and-dirty burlesque revue that draws on Von Teese’s bondage-wear period? You’ll get that, too. –GC

Never A Cat’s Paw at The Gather House

Scrambled Eggs art collective collaborated with Hasta Siempre Books to curate a profoundly dynamic exhibition this year. Showcasing the work of fifteen talented artists, the display spanned an array of mediums, all made exclusively by women, femme, and non-gender conforming creators. –GR

Cultural Events

Huntridge Theater sign relighting

It’s got a way to go before reopening, but the Huntridge’s new owner J Dapper demonstrated his commitment to this historic Downtown theater by restoring its neon sign and by inviting the public to step inside the venue for the first time in many years in April. –GC

Beverly Theater opening

Beverly Rogers’ arthouse/revival cinema opened with a proper premiere in March: Celine Song brought her acclaimed film Past Lives to Vegas. So began a streak of cultural wins for the Beverly, including a Vegas visit from Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins, exclusive runs of Eo and All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, and a St. Patrick’s Day screening of Leprechaun 3. –GC

Nuwu Cannabis Sky High Lounge opening

Nuwu Cannabis Marketplace made some big moves in 2023—programming comedy in its courtyard, launching a shuttle to Fremont Street and, most notably, opening a second-story consumption lounge called Sky High Lounge. The 16,000-square-foot lounge is complete with two dab bars, a drink bar and outdoor terrace with views of Downtown Las Vegas. –SM

Punk Rock Museum opening

From day one, the Punk Rock Museum has endeavored to celebrate and preserve memories of its namesake genre, and it does so no matter which wave of punk you rode in on. The Vandals’ Joe Escalante, L7’s Jennifer Finch, Gogol Bordello’s Eugene Hutz and even Fred Armisen have stopped by to do guided tours of the collection, which now includes Joe Strummer’s guitar and lyric sheets. –GC

The Rita Deanin Abbey Museum welcomes guests

A prolific, under-recognized artist received a fitting showcase for her work with the public opening of her former studio and home, now an appointment-only museum. Rita Deanin Abbey’s talent was immense, her artistic curiosity nearly without limit—and the museum devoted to her provides a solid overview of her accomplishments. –GC

U2 shoots a music video Downtown

For the second time in their career, U2 came to Fremont Street. Rolling in on a flatbed truck, the band ran through several lip-synched performances of “Atomic City” in September prior to opening Sphere, then rewarded the crowd with a live acoustic version of the song they mimed on Fremont in 1987, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”–GC

The Great Vegas Festival of Beer

You know spring has sprung when the annual Downtown Beer Fest rolls around. The boozy event not only gives drinkers access to taste more than 500 brews, it keeps the vibes light with a karaoke stage, silent disco and cornhole. –GR

New Restaurants

Peter Luger Steak

Classics never go out of style. Caesars Palace proves to be the ideal location for the Strip version of this NYC institution. –Weekly Staff

Amari

You’ll come to this UnCommons bistro for its delicious focaccia, pizzas and pastas—but you’ll stay for its namesake wall of Italian herbal liqueurs. –GC

Azzurra Cucina Italiana

The cozy and creative Azzurra is exactly the kind of ambitious neighborhood restaurant needed to continue the evolution—and elevation—of Water Street in Henderson. –Staff

Pine Bistro

Southern Highlands lands a culinary jewel with this upscale Lebanese restaurant and hookah bar, suited to the tastes of adventurous diners with a love for spices, fresh, hand-picked ingredients and all the baba ganoush and meat you can handle. –AS

Fine Company

Roy Ellamar shifts from the Strip to Downtown Summerlin and serves cozy breakfast, shared plates, seafood and a new dinner menu with something for everyone. –staff

Curry Pizza House

The strong personalities and flavors of both curry and pizza are honored at this brand-new eatery originally from California. Aloo gobi or chicken tikka in pizza form are masterpieces. –SM

Yukon Pizza

How it started: Woodfired pizza on a pillowy crust made from a 125-year-old heirloom sourdough starter, served out of Vegas Test Kitchen. How it’s going: Yukon Pizza’s brick-and-mortar location serves not only great pizza, but killer wings, smashburgers and other tasty one-offs. –GC

Naxos Taverna

Red Rock Resort’s dining updates hit another high note with this elevated Greek spot, which also contains the energetic Kallisto Oyster Bar. –Staff

Fugetsu Okonomiyaki Izakaya

This decades-old Japanese restaurant brand finally brought amazing seafood pancakes (okonomiyaki) and other bar-style dishes to Chinatown Las Vegas. –Staff

Double Zero Pie & Pub

Proving you can never have too many elite pizzerias in one city, Michael Vakneen strikes again with a stylish Tokyo-style pub dishing up Neapolitan pies, cocktails and more. –Staff

Mizunara

Chef Sho Kamio brings Japanese cuisine done Bay Area-style to UnCommons with Mizunara, offering brilliant bites of sushi and fried chicken. –Staff

Basilico

Longtime local force Francesco Di Caudo breaks through with his modern take on neighborhood Italian, amping up the southwest community of Evora. –Staff

HaSalon

Chef Eyal Shani’s fine dining contribution to the Strip is a revelation, a must-visit experience at Palazzo and a study in Israeli cuisine. –Staff

Albums

Kali Uchis, Red Moon in Venus

Kali Uchis’ first Top 10 album on the Billboard 200 reaches for intimacy and finds it on this sultry new entry, burning with white hot love and affection. The Latin singer samples neo-soul, R&B and shades of glossened pop across 15 solid tracks, recalling the suave musicality of the one and only Sade. –AS

Feeble Little Horse, Girl With Fish

From the dirty, lovely fuzz that opens “Freak” to the woozy folk guitar and vocal harmonies of “Heavy Water,” this Pittsburgh band commands the listener’s full, rapturous attention. “Steamroller” is practically a thunderstorm with a melody. –GC

Noname, Sundial

Fresh beats give way to new feats by this Chicago rapper. The wordsmith’s first album in five years exudes a certain maturity and new level of self-awareness, especially on tracks like “Namesake” and “Beauty Supply.” –SM

Yaya Bey, Exodus the North Star

The companion EP to 2022’s Remember Your North Star shows a lighter side of the singer-songwriter. Bey masterfully mixes R&B, reggae and jazz as backgrounds to delightful glimpses into her life and desires. –SM

Janelle Monae, The Age of Pleasure

Music’s favorite pop android discovers her flesh in this sexy, hedonistic romp, powered by the celebration of Black joy, queer liberation and good old “Champagne Sh*t.” Monae’s rhythmic soundtrack of Afrobeat and hip-swiveling reggae has audacity and character written all over it and she revels in that creation. –AS

Arlo Parks, My Soft Machine

A deeply sensitive record fashioned by a 20-something singer-songwriter still navigating her own adulthood, My Soft Machine is a triumph of vulnerability. Parks is a poet on paper and in song here, delicately unmasking her insecurities, her love and her fear with indie pop style and utmost grace. –AS

Daughter, Stereo Mind Game

Seven years after the indie folk trio released Not to Disappear, Daughter returns with one of its most instrumentally dominant and revelatory albums yet. The breathy vocals of Elena Torna still elicit chills but her lyrics, while historically poignant, feel more self-compassionate and hopeful as she embraces with the truth about her addictions and accepts some love does get lost at sea. –AS

Boygenius, The Record

The boys are back in this cruisey, Grammy-nominated cut structured around the chemistry of friendship. Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker flex their individual superpowers on this 12-track LP, sprinkling in signature sad girl sorrow, road trip-ready rock ’n’ roll and touching harmonies. –AS

Peter Gabriel, i/o

It’s never easy with this guy: i/o comes 20 years after Gabriel’s last album of new material. But it was worth the wait. “Playing for Time,” “Road to Joy” and the title track are standouts, but every last song in this long-awaited collection shines. –GC

Slowdive, Everything is Alive

Nearly everything about this U.K. shoegaze band’s latest record is a hypnotic wow. Each one of its eight tracks floats dreamily on its own cloud of warm synths, crystalline guitars and expansive reverb. –GC

Sparks, The Girl is Crying in Her Latte

Ron and Russell Mael could have chosen to coast a bit after Edgar Wright’s The Sparks Brothers gave the band its long-overdue flowers. Instead, they went hard, delivering a nervy, inventive and downright fun record that draws on all the strengths of Sparks’ five-decade career. –GC

King Krule, Space Heavy

At times, it’s essential to fully experience our emotions, and certain musicians have a unique ability to immerse us in a melancholic state. Archy Marshall’s fourth studio album serves as an ideal catalyst, showcasing his iconic brooding vocals and a fusion of fuzzy jazz and alt rock. –GR

Narrow Head, Moments Of Clarity

Narrow Head’s evolution is unmistakable in this third studio album—the post hardcore project radiates with profound artistic development. Although heavy, there’s a groove throughout the tracks that undeniably contributes to the thematic depth and tightness of their sound. –GR

Larry June and The Alchemist, The Great Escape

Larry June’s monotone flow and The Alchemist’s lush beats make this joint album a no-brainer. In a nutshell, minimalism is the most powerful tool in this project and hypnotizes listers to nod their head. –GR

Movies

Asteroid City

Wes Anderson fans can trust that anything the filmmaker releases will be full of visually pleasing cinematography, eccentric characters and line blurring narrative style. Asteroid City is a play within a movie that examines grief in heartwarming fashion, and with a star-studded cast. –GR

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

It should have stunk, but directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein rolled a natural 20 on this game adaptation and delivered a funny and exciting popcorn movie. Chris Pine’s hilarious face-melting bit is one for the ages. –GC

Missing

A thrilling successor to 2018’s Searching, Missing masterfully wields the power of visual storytelling, allowing one girl’s desperate search for her mother to play out entirely through a computer screen. There’s so many plot twists at work here, your head will swivel with conspiracy theories til the very end. –AS

Evil Dead Rise

The gore in this stand-alone entry will make even the gutsiest of horror fans clutch their pearls. Alyssa Sutherland plays a terrifyingly convincing deadite, stalking her family in their LA apartment after an earthquake shakes awake an ancient body-possessing evil. No one is safe, and there will be blood. –AS

Infinity Pool

Things and people are not always what they seem on vacation. This film follows a couple who accidentally happen upon their vacation country’s dark culture and fall into a wormhole of crime and hedonistic acts. –GR

Bottoms

Shiva Baby’s Rachel Sennott and Emma Seligman team up for more subversive raunchiness in this queer coming of cage-fighting comedy about two high schoolers who create a female fight club to land chicks. With an all-star cast that features Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) and NFL star Marshawn Lynch, Bottoms pokes so much fun at itself, it’s impossible not to love it. –AS

No Hard Feelings

At last, Jennifer Lawrence becomes the comedic hero we all deserve, allowing her biting wit and infectious humor to carry this film’s plot about seducing someone’s awkward son. The nude, full-frontal beach beatdown scene is worth the watch alone, but Lawrence’s chemistry with the wholesome Andrew Barth Feldman makes this comedy a treasure. –AS

Quiz Lady

Anyone who saw Sandra Oh on Saturday Night Live knows she has wicked comic timing, but in Quiz Lady, she’s next level. We need many, many more movies with Oh and Awkwafina playing off each other. –GC

John Wick: Chapter 4

How is he still alive? One has to wonder after all the bullets and beatings he’s endured over the last three installments. Somehow, the neo-noir saga continues to stick the landing, this time with Wick pummeling his way through the High Table’s most stylish assassins yet, and in the most gorgeous cities around the world. –AS

Past Lives

Celine Song’s directorial debut is a sweet, yet heartbreaking consideration of the road not taken. It defies the shortcuts of easy storytelling, and it frustrates and rewards by turns. If it doesn’t garner Greta Lee an Oscar nomination, that’s another heartbreak right there. –GC

Talk To Me

Directed by the Philippou twins, Talk To Me is the supernatural rollercoaster of the year. The movie weaves a tale of suspense as friends conjure spirits with an embalmed hand and become hooked on the thrill of possession—until one person takes it too far. –GR

Priscilla

If there’s one thing director Sophia Coppola has a knack for, it’s highlighting the female experience. Her newest biopic on Priscilla Presley unveils the life of Elvis’ ex-wife during the height of his career and creates a sense of allyship between viewers and the lonesome spouse. –GR

Television

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

Netflix’s animated series based on the beloved Bryan Lee O’Malley graphic novel came as a pleasant surprise. Not only does it include the entire cast from the 2010 film adaptation, but also serves as a sequel to the original story. –GR

Loki, Season 2

Had Marvel done nothing else in 2023 (and it’s tempting to pretend that they didn’t), they’d still deserve praise for bringing Loki’s story to a bittersweet, yet fitting close. Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson and Ke Huy Quan elevated good writing to great through committed perfomances. –GC

Beef

Beef is the thrilling cultural observation of how extreme emotions can drive people outside of themselves. Steven Yeun and Ali Wong are delightful to watch as their rage against each other leads to unexpected consequences. –GR

This Fool, Season 2

Chris Estrada’s life-inspired comedy about a pushover who works at a nonprofit that rehabilitates ex-gang members and ex-prisoners is still waiting for its Season 3 renewal. If Season 2 is any indicator, it’s worth the wait. –SM

Mrs. Davis

Easily the weirdest show of 2023, this single-season tale of a two-fisted nun and wannabe cowboy battling a creepily benevolent AI is required viewing for revolutionaries, magicians, sneakerheads and anyone afraid of AI taking their job. –GC

The Last of Us

I once believed that the world didn’t need another end-of-times show, especially one that’s based on a video game—until I watched The Last of Us. Not only does Pedro Pascal easily fit the dad(dy) role but this post-apocalyptic drama is dynamic and captivating. –GR

One Piece

Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s long-running pirate manga is an eccentric, swashbuckling delight, with a superlatively charismatic cast and an elegant, yet goofy look that evokes Baron Munchausen-era Terry Gilliam. –GC

Poker Face

If there’s a single negative thing to be said about Rian Johnson’s case-of-the-week detective series, it’s that Natasha Lyonne’s wisecracking, big-haired “human lie detector” Charlie Cale isn’t on TV every week. Ten episodes ain’t enough. We can’t wait for season 2. –GC

Reservation Dogs, Season 3

This outstanding show about four loveable and relatable Indigenous kids is gone too soon, but it stuck the landing. Perhaps Bear, Cheese, Elora Danan and Willie Jack will come back around someday, like the Deer Lady. She’s out there. –GC

Shrinking

Jason Segel and Jessica Williams are likeable and funny in this series about all-too-fallible psychiatrists, but its secret sauce is previously unrecognized comic powerhouse Harrison Ford. Indiana Jones has got jokes. –GC

Love & Death

This HBO miniseries delves into the true story of Candy Montgomery, a Texas mother who committed a gruesome murder in 1980, killing the wife of the man she was having an affair with. The narrative takes a turn as viewers find themselves reluctantly empathizing with Candy’s character. –GR

Swarm

Donald Glover’s unhinged thriller Swarm showcases how scary fandoms and Stan culture can become. Dominique Fishback plays an obsessive popstar fan who takes online hate personally and makes sure the haters never speak badly about Beyoncé—I mean, Ni’jah—ever again. –GR

The Bear, Season 2

Anyone with restaurant experience will tell you that this show triggers their industry PTSD. While the chaos from Season 1 fuels the fire in the newest episodes, viewers are given the chance to further dissect character trauma through sheer dialogue and body language—it’s truly more than meets the eye. –GR

Video Games

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Breath of the Wild was a hard act to follow, but Nintendo did it in a way that makes serialized storytelling look easy. The world of Hyrule is bigger, the game mechanics more layered and fascinating—but it retains the previous game’s quiet grandeur. –GC

Dead Island 2

After eight years, the much-awaited sequel to Dead Island makes its gory debut, thrusting players into the role of zombie slayers stuck in the city of “Hell-A.” Exploring the ruins of Beverly Hills while hacking up a horde has never felt better thanks to Dead Island 2’s insane dismemberment system and the limitless ways you can kit out a melee weapon to your sadistic heart’s content. –AS

Alan Wake 2

A sequel 13 years in the making, Alan Wake 2 positions itself as one of the most unique survivor horror games of the last 20 years. Remedy Entertainment flexes its narrative storytelling muscles here, unraveling a Twin Peaks-style of plot that’s so smartly written, so graphically dynamic and so purposely entwined with its other games you can’t possibly play AW2 without digging into the rest of Remedy’s entrancing catalog. –AS

Sea of Stars

Scratching the itch of nostalgic turn-based JRPGs like Golden Sun, Sea of Stars manages to have reverence for the RPGs that came before it without repeating their mistakes. Traversal is a breeze, with regions offering lots of verticality; dungeons aren’t a slog to get through; and battling, even after long periods, has a coziness that makes putting this game down difficult. –AS

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Game companies are supposed to slack off as a console reaches the end of its cycle. Nintendo didn’t get that message. Super Mario Bros. Wonder is one of the best side-scrolling games of the franchise, with breezy, smooth gameplay and some legit big surprises. –GC 

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