After Hours: A night-by-night guide to the hottest DJs in Vegas
Friday, Aug. 11
Zedd at Hakkasan
DJ Irie at Jewel Nightclub
MakJ at Intrigue
The Chainsmokers at XS
Saturday, Aug. 12
Calvin Harris at Wet Republic Ultra Pool
Kaskade at Jewel Nightclub
Afrojack at Omnia
Laidback Luke at Intrigue
Sunday, Aug. 13
RL Grime at Nightswim at XS
Monday, Aug. 14
Virgil Abloh & Politik at XS
Wednesday, Aug. 16
Lost Kings at Encore Beach Club
Thursday, Aug. 17
Dillon Francis at Intrigue
Friday, Aug. 18
DJ Ruckus at Marquee
Diplo at XS
Brillz at Intrigue
Flosstradamus at Nightswim at Encore Beach Club
Saturday, Aug. 19
Kaskade at Jewel Nightclub
Martin Garrix at Omnia
Alesso at XS
Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike at Intrigue
Music Moment: DJ RUCKUS
WWD: How would you describe your schedule?
DJ RUCKUS: I am constantly on tour. I’m going to Dubai, Paris, London. My favorite part of this whole thing is getting to see the world and meet people. Everybody loves music. This might actually be the first year I can go on a bit of a vacation. I’m going to hang out in Mykonos for a bit after I play there.
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WWD: How did you get your start?
DJ RUCKUS: I’ve always loved hip-hop. I used to break dance. I was 14 when I started; I’m 33 now.
WWD: What are your biggest influences?
DJ RUCKUS: I was born in New York and grew up in Miami mainly. My parents loved soul music and put me onto the Marvin Gayes, Anita Bakers and Whitney Houstons. When I started DJ-ing I gathered as many records from family members as I could. They are expensive so that’s how you afford them, but you also learn from what’s around so that’s what I ended up with, a lot of this soul classic stuff I’m playing now.
WWD: What was your big break?
DJ RUCKUS: I always say, at Diddy’s birthday in Morocco when I was 17. I was one of three DJs they chose. Nobody that age was getting anywhere near playing something like that. Both Ciara and Jeff Rose were there.
WWD: Why do you think you’re having such a moment now?
DJ RUCKUS: I am catching a wave, I guess. I think music especially in the DJ category is moving back in the direction of where I originally started, which is an open format. You know, the Mark Ronsons and the DJ AMs of the world were the best at that time and that sound is coming back. It’s sort of what the Chainsmokers and DJ Snake and Major Lazer are doing, slowing their music tempo down and keeping the energy there and broadening their musical horizons, so it’s not just electronic or just house. So as the world is starting to merge and martial arts and music and everything has become one Pangaea, it’s back in the territory of what I do best.
WWD: What about your branding?
DJ RUCKUS: I’ve put a lot of work into creating the brand that I am. The clothes that I wear or the jewelry that I make or the parties that I play or the people I associate with — all of that counts.
WWD: What’s your fashion weakness?
DJ RUCKUS: I am a big Old School Chrome Hearts fan and it’s really cool to watch them come back around. It became sort of taboo to wear them and it’s cool to watch it come back.
WWD: Have you ever done a fashion collaboration?
DJ RUCKUS: I did one with a brand called Rox House out of Miami called Ruckus for Rox House. It’s crystals and friendship bracelet-esque, and we are doing a second run.
Kitchen Confidential: Chef Lorena Garcia
Celebrity chef, restaurateur and television personality Lorena Garcia is spicing up the highly competitive dining scene on The Strip with the opening of her new restaurant Chica, a venture with 50 Eggs restaurant group at the Venetian Hotel. Here, she tells WWD what inspires her cooking and pleases her palate.
WWD: Where did you get your inspiration for Chica?
Lorena Garcia: I come from Venezuela, and have lived in Argentina, Brazil and Peru. But being in the U.S., I also cook with what I find here, so it’s truly a fusion of North and South American flavors, how you’d see it on my table on the weekends, but in an elevated setting.
WWD: How do you set the tone in your kitchen?
L.G.: I always tell my team to translate that aggression in the kitchen into passion.
There is something you feel when you walk into my kitchen — making love to the food, which is what I want.
WWD: Who first taught you how to cook?
L.G.: My mother and grandmother. One of my favorite food memories is making a breakfast picnic with arepas in our living room when I was six years old. When you see that original recipe and then see it now on the menu at Chica, you understand how the food travels. I gave them my own spin with flavors like beet, cheese, green cilantro and basil and anise and licorice.
WWD: How did competing on shows like “Food Fighters” and “Top Chef Masters” change your career?
L.G.: It had a huge impact. Being on a competition show prepares you for any situation because you focus on solutions. Being a judge and producer on other shows is a different set of skills.
WWD: What do you think of the Las Vegas dining scene now?
L.G.: It’s unbelievable. The amount of chefs of Venetian’s restaurant row alone – I am next to Emeril Lagasse, who was one of my idols growing up. The competition is particularly strong and in general people are concentrating more on the experience of going to dinner.
WWD: What are the newest items at Chica?
L.G.: We just opened for breakfast so I would say the sweet pancakes and buñuelos.
WWD: What dish are you craving right now?
L.G.: The fried chicken at Bouchon.
Happy Trails
If the glitz of The Strip leaves you wanting for a different sort of experience, check out a trail ride on some of Nevada’s scenic desert trails. But before you saddle up, get some authentic Western gear, starting with cowboy boots and a hat and and accessorizing with vintage Native American turquoise jewelry and a silver belt buckle.
Silver Post
This family-owned shop has been around for 75 years and specializes in Native American jewelry including white buffalo turquoise, artifacts (headdresses, bows and arrows and skulls), and rare crystals and minerals.
7680 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89123, (702) 227-3005
Pinto Ranch Fine Western Wear
This company is based out of Houston and named for a working Wyoming ranch that was founded in the Thirties. Conveniently located on the Fashion Show Mall, it carries men’s, ladies’ and children’s clothing, boots and accessories, plus home décor and saddles. All boots, jewelry, sterling silver buckles and saddles are handmade.
3200 Las Vegas Blvd, Ste. 1320, Las Vegas, NV 89109, (702) 228-3400
Boot Barn Western Superstore
This national chain has an 18,000-square-foot store in Summerlin specializing in Western-style boots from over 400 brands. It carries exclusive brands such as Shyanne, Cody James, Moonshine Spirit by Brad Paisley, and El Dorado along with other notable names like Lucchese, Wrangler, Ariat, Corral, and Dan Post.
2280 W. Warm Springs Road, Las Vegas, NV 89119, (702) 471-0101
Wild West Horseback Adventures
2470 Chandler Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89120, (702) 792-5050
wildwesthorsebackadventures.com
Cowboy Trail Rides
4052 Fossil Ridge Road, Las Vegas, NV 89161, (702) 387-2457
cowboytrailrides.com