Top 10 things to do in Las Vegas this week
MUSIC
Kendrick Lamar
An exercise in uneasy listening, “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,” the latest from Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar demands patience — much like life itself. And that’s what the album is rooted in: real life, as Lamar digs deep into fame, fatherhood and familial bonds on a sprawling, decidedly untidy double album that mines everything from free jazz to psychedelic funk. It’s a lot to digest, but that’s the point, Lamar giving you plenty to chew on. See him at 7:30 p.m. Friday at T-Mobile Arena. Tickets start at $64; axs.com.
Jason Bracelin
MUSIC
Nine Inch Nails
One of the most bracing live bands currently storming across stages, Nine Inch Nails tear into their songs and the audience simultaneously. Giving electronic-based music a bruising physical dimension as well as powerful emotional resonance, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers have put a human face on an industrial-tinged repertoire for a sound as intense as the feelings that inspired it. See them at 8 p.m. Thursday at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort. The show is sold out, but resale tickets are available at ticketmaster.com.
Jason Bracelin
FOOD & DRINK
Oktoberfest
Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas kicks off its 18th annual Oktoberfest celebration with Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman tapping the first keg at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Hofbräuhaus Oktoberfest runs through Oct. 31. Every Friday and Saturday during the event, a celebrity guest will tap the keg to inaugurate the festivities that evening. Among these tappers are the Chippendales, famed Vegas drag queens Larry Edwards (Hot Chocolate) and Roxy Brooks, and former Golden Knight Deryk Engelland. The Oktoberfest menu offers daily specials to pair with Hofbräuhaus brews. Details: hofbrauhauslasvegas.com/oktoberfest.
Johnathan L. Wright
MUSIC
‘The Stadium Tour’
Back in the ’80s, the only thing more massive than the combined record sales of Def Leppard, Motley Crue and Poison was their Aquanet-abetted bangs. Go ahead, blame the hole in the ozone on these dudes, what with all those aerosol cans of hairspray. Decades later, they’re making amends with “The Stadium Tour,” one of the biggest rock bills of the year, joined on the outing by Joan Jett. Play air guitar until your wrists hurt at 4 p.m. Friday at Allegiant Stadium. Tickets start at $78.20; ticketmaster.com.
Jason Bracelin
MUSIC
Interpol, Spoon
Break out the smelling salts for the indie rocker in your life when Interpol and Spoon team up. The former comes with a brooding, post-punk-indebted songbook; the latter a wry, guitar-based sound evocative of everything from Wire to Tom Petty. See them at 7 p.m. Tuesday at The Theater at Virgin Resorts Las Vegas. Tickets start at $35; axs.com.
Jason Bracelin
CELEBRATION
Mexican Independence Day bash
On Saturday, Downtown Container Park is celebrating Mexican Independence Day with a free performance by Metalachi, the famed heavy metal mariachi band, beginning at 9:30 p.m. Several food and drink purveyors at Container Park will remain open and a satellite bar near The Lawn will offer $30 all-you-can-enjoy beer packages. There also will be $10 specialty cocktails and $11 Jäger Bombs. Visit downtowncontainerpark.com/entertainment.
Johnathan L. Wright
MUSIC
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is back after two unexpected pauses: one for the pandemic, the other for Steven Tyler’s relapse and rehab. Having been away from the stage since February 2020, the band prepared for the continuation of its “Deuces Are Wild” residency with warm-up shows in Bangor, Maine, and at a little place called Fenway Park. See Aerosmith at 8 p.m. Wednesday, with additional dates through Dec. 11, in Dolby Live at Park MGM. Tickets start at $75; ticketmaster.com.
Christopher Lawrence
MOVIE
‘Encanto’ at Boulevard Pool
The heat may say otherwise, but summer’s coming to an end. A screening of “Encanto,” Disney’s Oscar-winning animated tale, is your final chance this year to lounge in or around the Boulevard Pool during Dive-In Movies. A special food and beverage menu is available. Doors open at 7 p.m. Monday, and the movie starts at 8, at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Admission is $10 for locals, and free for military, first responders and members of the hotel’s Identity players club, with ID.
Christopher Lawrence
FESTIVAL
Prince Kuhio Ho’olaule’a & Pacific Island Festival
You can get a taste of the islands this weekend without dealing with the absolute nightmare air travel has become. The 30th Prince Kuhio Ho’olaule’a & Pacific Island Festival will feature cultural entertainment, Polynesian villages, authentic island food, handmade crafts and children’s activities. The free event is scheduled for 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at Henderson’s Water Street Plaza.
Christopher Lawrence
BOOKS
Cookbook signing
From noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Barnes & Noble, 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd., is hosting a signing of “My Cookbook Passion” by Pamela Kure Grogan, an award winner at the recent Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. “Passion” explores, through recipes, the author’s collection of vintage cookbooks. Her husband, S.P. Grogan, will be signing copies of his “Captain Cooked: Hawaiian Mystery of Romance, Revenge … and Recipes,” also a winner at the World Cookbook Awards, as well as copies of his history novels. Details: 702-631-1775.
Johnathan L. Wright
