Leslie Ventura

Story Archive

Jam Unplugged takes local music online: Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020; The series was inspired by NPR’s Tiny Desk concerts and features a podcast, blog and a filmed performance.
What should we do when students exhibit signs of depression over their social isolation?: Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020; It’s becoming common to see teens acting out, being defiant, pushing rules and boundaries and/or exhibiting depression, withdrawal, self-injury and substance abuse.
Indigo Kidd goes ‘party goth’ with its new monthly audio series: Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020; The Vegas trio plans to release a new single every month for the next five months. “Because there’s no touring or live shows, it’s forced us to get creative on how to approach lots of things.”
The Barrick Museum returns with two new shows that reveal the previously hidden: Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020; The public can view Ashley Hairston Doughty’s ‘Kept to Myself’ and ‘Excerpts: Works From the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art’ in person or online.
Vegas Urban Pride rallies for our marginalized trans community: Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020; “This rally will bring together the LGBTQ and Black communities who have shared the trauma of discrimination and violence, but who haven't always shared in the fight for equal and civil rights."
Second Helping Podcast: Finding the right ingredients: Monday, Aug. 17, 2020; We're also taking you along on our summer vacation getaways and sharing all the food and drinks we enjoyed.
Disc driving: It's easy, and inexpensive, to begin playing disc golf in Las Vegas: Friday, Aug. 7, 2020; Created in the 1970s, disc golf is a sport similar in play to golf, with participants using discs (smaller frisbees), rather than golf balls, clubs and a tee. The object of the game, however, is essentially the same: Players try to get their discs into the goal in the fewest number of attempts.
Las Vegas duo Stella Novae shoots for the stars on its debut EP: Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020; The six-song project oscillates between house-driven electronic rhythms and indie-leaning synth-pop.
Give yourself a boost: 3 ways to keep the immune system in top shape: Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020; Boosting our immune system to help us fight disease and illness more effectively is crucial, pandemic or no. Eating healthy, along with exercising regularly and engaging in stress-relieving activities, are critical.
Local restaurant owner fights to cap third-party delivery fees: Thursday, July 30, 2020; Tacotarian co-owner Kristen Corral says she has reached out to Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom to help draft an ordinance.
Guiding light: Black Camaro’s latest album plays like a channel-surfing ‘Daydream’: Thursday, July 30, 2020; To hear singer, guitarist and engineer Brian Garth explain it, the band’s 16th LP was “loosely” conceived as a soap opera.
Activists striving for racial justice: Minister Stretch Sanders, New Era Las Vegas: Thursday, July 23, 2020; Through the weekly Hood to Hood initiative, members deliver food, toiletries, COVID-19 supplies and more. His goal: to create healthier, more connected communities.
Activists striving for racial justice: Nissa D. Tzun, Forced Trajectory Project: Thursday, July 23, 2020; “The whole point of FTP is to shine a light on [families’] paths after their loved ones are killed. We hear the nationally known cases, but we don’t often know about the cases that happen in our ZIP code.”
These young Las Vegas activists are helping a movement maintain momentum: Thursday, July 23, 2020; Jameelah Lewis and Desiree Smith represent the many young Las Vegans making strides on a local level.
Additional local organizations committed to the fight for racial justice: Thursday, July 23, 2020; Get to know Battle Born Progress, Make It Work Nevada, Make the Road Nevada and Nevada Minority Health and Equity Coalition.
Vegas-based sword swallower Brett Loudermilk takes his act to the ‘America’s Got Talent’ stage: Thursday, July 16, 2020; His AGT audition, televised on June 16, showcased his ability to win over an uncertain crowd. “Everything went wrong, [yet] it couldn’t have been better,” he says.
COVID-19 survivor Joe Brailsford, musician: Thursday, July 16, 2020; When he started experiencing shortness of breath, “That’s when you start freaking out a little bit. You’re waking up in the middle of the night because you can’t breathe.”
Camp for your health: A couple nights in nature can do wonders for your mood: Thursday, July 9, 2020; It’s the sort of much-needed reset we could all use right now.
The hosts of Vegas podcast ‘2 Dudes & A Girl’ aim for “free and open” discussions: Thursday, July 9, 2020; Although levity and humor run throughout the show, it isn’t always fun and games. Beil, Alexander and Hutchinson have also used their platform to talk about the Black Lives Matter movement, the protests in Las Vegas and more.
Second Helping Podcast: Our favorite Vegas burgers: Thursday, July 2, 2020; We’re debating Shake Shack versus In-N-Out and fancy versus simple.
With shows off indefinitely, local musicians reflect on some favorite tour moments: Thursday, July 2, 2020; “We’re spending quality time with the captain, and he’s going on about how he’s so jealous of us being in a band and traveling from state to state. This was a captain of a plane, saying he was jealous of us.”
Show your support: The quest for equality continues on Independence Day: Thursday, July 2, 2020; Follow local and global grassroots organizations, donate to their causes and start to effect change, beginning here.
Digital drag show ‘Untitled (America)’ to benefit the Navajo Water Project: Thursday, July 2, 2020; The event, scheduled to stream on Twitch on July 4, will feature a drag queen from every state, including Nevada’s Lynn Troller.
From drag queens to theater groups, Vegas performers find ways to get their work out with venues closed: Thursday, June 25, 2020; LGBTQ-focused event Bodywork, will host its first livestream on June 25 to celebrate Pride month.
Production company AV Vegas tries to bring the local concert industry back to life: Thursday, June 25, 2020; So far, the space has featured Vegas acts like Mercy Music, Adelitas Way, Jesse Pino and Mojave Sun on its livestreams, with more artists to come.
Coco Jenkins’ ‘Nothing and Everything’ series explores music and much more: Thursday, June 25, 2020; “What we’re doing is really to amplify voices of the people of our community, telling people’s sides of their stories.”
Official Juneteenth fest canceled, other events still on: Thursday, June 18, 2020; Also known as Freedom Day, Juneteenth celebrates the African traditions—such as food, art, history and music—embedded in American culture.
Album review: Moses Sumney’s ‘Grae’: Thursday, June 11, 2020; Sumney defies notions of normalcy, eschewing borders and binaries, genres and pigeonholes.
Social distancing presents challenges for drinking meetups: Thursday, June 11, 2020; The social distancing rules are both great and strange. I know we need them, but it makes the usual flow of bar conversation even more awkward.”
What matters most: For Las Vegas demonstrators, protesting racial inequality is worth additional COVID-19 risk: Thursday, June 11, 2020; “Do we feel more seriously about COVID than we feel about racism? The answer may be different if you ask a white person or a person of color.”
Second Helping Podcast: Staying Social and Telling Food Stories: Wednesday, June 10, 2020; We’re trading notes with the dynamic duo behind one of the most fascinating food pods in Vegas or anywhere else.
Virtual visits: Spurred on by the pandemic, telemedicine has gone mainstream: Sunday, June 7, 2020; As cities across the country began shutting down when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, people still needed to receive advice and treatment from doctors for symptoms non-COVID-related. Physicians had to figure out another way to reach patients.
Las Vegas singer Justin Ingalis continues making bold moves: Thursday, June 4, 2020; With his visual direction, confident style and bold lyrics, he makes listeners want to know more about the man behind the music
Las Vegans Alexis Mateo and India Ferrah gear up for the latest ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’: Thursday, June 4, 2020; Beginning June 5, three high-kicking local queens will fight for the crown on the fifth season of ‘All Stars.’ Two of them talked to the Weekly about the experience.
Ways to show support for Black Lives Matter: Wednesday, June 3, 2020; Donating, reading, voting and more.
Fergusons Downtown helps rally community mask support: Thursday, May 28, 2020; The plaza has launched an online #ivalueyou campaign, asking people to send in photos of themselves wearing masks and explaining why it’s important to do so.
The Weekly playlist: Your latest batch of local tunes: Thursday, May 28, 2020; Dusty Sunshine, The Lique, Strange Mistress and more.
Vegas podcast ‘Latinos Who Lunch’ debuts a new coloring book: Thursday, May 28, 2020; The ABC’s of Latinidad—inspired by the show’s 99th episode from November 15, 2018—will include 50 pages of Geovany Uranda’s illustrations covering “the alphabet of being Latinx.”
Las Vegas’ Javesque feeds his music with his culture and his heritage: Thursday, May 21, 2020; Latest single “Hold It Down” is an icy house anthem perfect for sweaty, strobing dancefloors, created with LGBT crowds in mind.
Produce and baked goods delivery across the Vegas Valley: Monday, May 18, 2020; With these fresh options, healthy eating need not take a backseat during the pandemic.
Virtual Tastings, Real Spirits: Pour in the Alley does a home edition: Friday, May 15, 2020; Bars are starting to open, but if you prefer to stay indoors a little longer, this weekend’s Pour in the Alley has you covered.
Majesty in the Alley: A Downtown Theater Company Goes Drive-Thru: Friday, May 15, 2020; In a world of curbside pickup, Majestic Repertory presents "the most amazingly talented customer service reps on earth."
Quarantine tunes: Recommended local tracks released during the shutdown: Thursday, May 14, 2020; Cameron Calloway, Brett Vee, Hassan and more.
Super Summer Theatre postpones its 2020 season to next year: Wednesday, May 13, 2020; "“It is our primary responsibility to keep our audiences, artists, staff and volunteers safe."
Advice for those of us suddenly helping to teach family members: Thursday, May 7, 2020; “We know that this experience is having intense repercussions on how children are developing—as children and as students. Educators need to be mindful of that and how that’s affecting people in such a short and abrupt time.”
Learn about vinyl’s origins, and how to join its musical re-revolution: Thursday, May 7, 2020; Pull your pick from the shelf, remove the inner sleeve from the jacket and place the platter on your player. Start it spinning, and move the needle to the grooves. Try having that sort of relationship with a stream or download.
Celebrate with Mom in a different way this year: Thursday, May 7, 2020; Share meals, make art, watch movies and more—even if you can’t be in the same physical space.
Can online learning truly be equal for all?: Thursday, May 7, 2020; “Students of color who are in low-income communities may or may not have access to technology,” says UNLV assistant professor Iesha Jackson. “They may not have a computer or fast-enough internet to access all the resources.”
Veteran pedal steel guitarist Joel Ferguson steps to the forefront on his first album: Thursday, May 7, 2020; “Everyone was looking at me to make the decisions, so it was quite a growing-up process,” the 66-year-old says.
Second Helping Podcast: Being the best home cooks we can be: Wednesday, May 6, 2020; This month's episode is all about cooking at home with help from local chefs James Trees and Jamaal Taherzadeh.