NBA Summer League at Thomas & Mack Center/Cox Pavilion
Las Vegas’ sports takeover continues. For the first time, all 30 NBA teams will compete in one town, over an 82-game summer schedule spanning 12 days. Catch the professional debut of 2018 first-rounders and others in an event that has hosted the likes of Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Chris Paul over the years. July 6-17, times vary, $35-$500. –Spencer Patterson
Michael Che at Comedy Cellar
“They keep saying the economy’s getting better, but I don’t believe that … They starting to legalize marijuana everywhere. It’s only when you down to your last dollar that you start thinking, ‘Yo, we should just start selling weed.’” So says Saturday Night Live’s Michael Che, the truth-teller we need to hear from right now. July 11, 7 & 9 p.m., $25-$55, Rio. –Geoff Carter
Las Vegas Stories: 1955—The Desert Boomtown at Clark County Library
Amid our building spree and sports boom, 2018 could go down in history as pivotal in Vegas’ evolution. Today’s growth might seem dizzying, but take comfort in history. Past Las Vegans have seen big changes, and they came out the better for it.
As part of Clark County Library’s Las Vegas Stories series, historian and Director of UNLV’s Center for Gaming Research David G. Schwartz will discuss another peak moment in Sin City’s evolution: 1955. In that year, the City of Las Vegas celebrated its 50th anniversary, and casinos found legitimacy with the establishment of the Gaming Control Board.
Furthermore, so many resorts opened that Life magazine famously questioned whether Las Vegas had overextended itself. (The answer was, and will always be, no.) In addition to the opening of the Dunes, the integrated Moulin Rouge and the Royal Nevada, the debut of the nine-story Riviera signaled a new era of glam. Impressed, Las Vegas Sun founder Hank Greenspun wrote in his column, “They have designed the pattern for the future of Las Vegas.” July 5, 7 p.m., free. –C. Moon Reed
Meek Mill at Drai's Nightclub
Since he was released from prison in April, Meek Mill has become a symbol of a new movement examining black incarceration and institutional racism in law enforcement, culminating in his performance of new song “Stay Woke” at the BET Awards. Now he returns to Drai’s to kick off an exclusive live concert residency. July 7, 10:30 p.m., $50-$75. –Brock Radke
Bad Phantom at Bunkhouse Saloon
Last September, local singer/songwriter Shayna Rain announced that her eponymous band would be calling it quits, then teased a new project already in the works. That new act makes its debut this Friday. With Alex Higgins, Peaceful Retreat, Jesse Pino & The Vital Signs. July 6, 8 p.m., $5. –Leslie Ventura
Kevin Hart at MGM Grand Garden Arena
No one could blame Kevin Hart if he went full Eddie Murphy—concentrating on his movie career at the expense of his live performance. But he’s not, and Vegas gets the benefit of his fiercely funny stand-up. July 6, 7 p.m., $64-$154. –Geoff Carter
Chief White Lightning at Starboard Tack
Josh Logan and company are no genre purists. Enliven your Saturday night by watching the rising Austin-to-Long Beach quartet churn R&B and country into a flamboyant, melodic psych-garage mix. With No Tides, Desert Island Boys. July 7, 9 p.m., free. –Mike Prevatt
The Blank Tapes at Bunkhouse Saloon
Lo-fi bedroom projects are built to be forgotten, but Los Angelino Matt Adams has kept his sunny pop creations churning for 15 years. That’s true commitment deserving of one night of yours. With Dark Black, Caleb Lindskoog, DJ Jcob Savage. July 10, 8:30 p.m., $10-$12. –Spencer Patterson
