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This event has sold out and no more tickets are available. However, stay tuned for additional opportunities to enjoy entertainment and other offerings at Historic Commercial Center as Clark County works to bring excitement and the arts back to this storied area.Updated - Thursday, May 18, 2023 - Mix Master Mike of The Beastie Boys joins the entertainment lineup for the iconic kickoff to the revitalization of the Historic Commercial Center. Gates open at 6 p.m. Entertainment will be spread across three stages:

Ride Share and carpooling are highly recommended

LAS VEGAS (May 15, 2023) – deadmau5, the superstar electronic music producer and DJ, will headline a night of music, entertainment and eye-popping, Burning Man-style immersive big art at a free ticketed event Thursday, May 18, at Historic Commercial Center, just blocks east of the Las Vegas Strip.

deadmau5 will perform live from atop the iconic art piece Forest House, a creation featuring fantastical trees of light and a 60,000-watt sound system made famous from its appearances at Burning Man and the Electric Daisy Carnival.

The night’s entertainment will be spread across three stages. Gates open at 6 p.m. Bella Strings will perform at 6 p.m., followed by Mix Master Mike at 7 p.m., musician Franky Perez at 8 p.m. and deadmau5 at 9 p.m.

Among the numerous, large-scale immersive art pieces spread across the venue will be the original El Pulpo Mecanico, a 35-foot-tall mechanical octopus with fire spewing from its eight limbs, a Burning Man staple for many years that is making its Las Vegas debut.

El Pulpo Mecanico will be joined by other monumental art creations, including Electric Dandelions by artist Abram Santa Cruz/Liquid Pixel, lighted Cloud Swings by artist Lindsay Glatz and much more to delight the senses.

“This event will demonstrate the power of combining art and entertainment to revitalize urban areas,” said Joshua Levine, art consultant and event curator, Fired Up Management, who also curated AREA15’s original Art Island outdoor exhibition area. “Historic Commercial Center is on its way to becoming an epic cultural destination, and we’re excited to partner with Clark County and Insomniac and show what we can bring.”

Dozens of local artists will be featured while food trucks and drink stations will dot the landscape. Additionally, attendees may visit many of the shops, galleries, bars and restaurants of the 150 merchants who make Historic Commercial Center their home.

“The Fabulous Commercial Center Block Party signifies the re-emergence of an area that for decades was considered to be the very center of Las Vegas,” said Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom. “It kicks off an initiative to bring excitement and the arts back to the larger South of Sahara Avenue District.” The district is bounded by Sahara Avenue, Maryland Parkway, Liberace/Karen Avenue and Joe W. Brown Drive.

“Historic Commercial Center has a storied place in the history of Las Vegas,” noted County Commissioner Ross Miller, who was instrumental in developing Thursday’s event and whose family visited the area for years. “This incredible ‘Fabulous Commercial Center Block Party’ will be exciting and a lot of fun. But it is also part of a larger effort to focus the community’s attention on the area so that we can grow it together.”

Having deadmau5 perform certainly is an attention-getter. The Canadian is one of the world’s most respected electronic music producers and has enjoyed international success with his two-time, platinum-certified single, “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff,” as well as “Professional Griefers,” “Sofi Needs A Ladder” and “I Remember.” He also has released seven critically acclaimed albums and is a multiple JUNO Award winner and GRAMMY®-nominated artist.

Las Vegas-born Perez and his band also are expected to wow Block Party attendees. He is best known as a solo artist but tours as the vocalist for Finnish metal band Apocalyptica. He is a former guitarist for Scars on Broadway and has released three solo albums.

Bella Strings is an all-female electric string group led by creator Nina DiGregorio that frequently tours the country to wide acclaim.

Parking for Thursday’s Block Party is limited so ride-sharing is encouraged. There will be a dedicated ride-share pick-up and drop-off spot on Liberace Avenue on the south side of Commercial Center.

All those attending the Block Party will be subject to a security screening. Bags are admissible in clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and not in excess of 12” x 6” x 12”.

The event represents a collaboration among Clark County, art consultancy and event curator Fired Up Management, electronic music event promoter and distributor Insomniac, the UNLV College of Fine Arts and the Historic Commercial Center Association and its merchants. In addition to Fired Up Management’s Levine, the Historic Commercial Center redevelopment project is also helmed by Architect Robert Gurdison as well as Tom Michel, former owner of the Vegas and Nevada Rooms at Commercial Center. Historic Commercial Center is located at 953 E. Sahara Avenue, east of the Las Vegas Strip and west of Maryland Parkway. The Block Party coincides with the renaming of Karen Avenue, which runs on the south side of Historic Commercial Center, to Liberace Avenue.

The South of Sahara Avenue District (SOSA) covers a massive 120 acres and is ripe for redevelopment. Historic Commercial Center is at the center of it all and can be an incubator for the arts and eventually a home to arts centers and museums. Its history as a community hub and entertainment center is storied. The Doors, The Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin and the Beach Boys have performed there. Elvis Presley bought Priscilla’s engagement ring at a jewelry store at the center and Liberace had his furs dry-cleaned at the site. And, members of the Rat Pack ate regularly at its deli.

For more information on the event or to register for tickets, go to www.ClarkCountyNV.gov/fabulous23.

The Athletics appear on track to relocate to Las Vegas by 2027. According to a report from Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the A’s have agreed to a land deal to purchase 49 acres (with an option for an additional eight acres) just west of the Las Vegas strip. The land deal is the only official step to this point. There is no formal stadium agreement yet, but it’s clear the franchise is firmly turning its attention away from its current home.

“For a while we were on parallel paths (with Oakland), but we have turned our attention to Las Vegas to get a deal here for the A’s and find a long-term home,” team president Dave Kaval told Akers. “Oakland has been a great home for us for over 50 years, but we really need this 20-year saga completed and we feel there’s a path here in Southern Nevada to do that.”

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed the news in a statement to the Review-Journal: “We support the A’s turning their focus on Las Vegas and look forward to them bringing finality to this process by the end of the year.”

Oakland mayor Sheng Thao confirmed that negotiations between the A’s and its current city are ending (via Sarah Ravani of the San Francisco Chronicle). There’d been reports of progress between the sides in recent months as they negotiated over a possible Howard Terminal stadium in Oakland’s Jack London Square. With the revelation that won’t come to be, the mayor excoriated franchise leadership, accusing them of using negotiations with Oakland merely “to try to extract a better deal out of Las Vegas.”

“I am deeply disappointed that the A’s have chosen not to negotiate with the City of Oakland as a true partner, in a way that respects the long relationship between the fans, the City and the team,” Thao said. “The City has gone above and beyond in our attempts to arrive at mutually beneficial terms to keep the A’s in Oakland. In the last three months, we’ve made significant strides to close the deal. … In a time of budget deficits, I refuse to compromise the safety and well-being of our residents. Given these realities, we are ceasing negotiations and moving forward on alternatives for the redevelopment of Howard Terminal.”

Howard Stutz and Tabitha Mueller of the Nevada Independent first reported late Wednesday night that the A’s and Las Vegas lawmakers have neared agreement on a stadium deal. Both the Nevada Independent and the Review-Journal report the plan is for a 35,000-seat facility with a partially retractable roof. Kaval confirmed to Akers the site is located roughly a mile north of Allegiant Stadium, home to the Raiders, and around a mile west of the Golden Knights’ T-Mobile Arena.

“It’s really in the sports district,” Kaval said. “So you have all the stadiums kind of clustered in one spot. I think that creates a powerful zone, a kind of energy to it that will benefit the community and also help us be successful running a baseball team.”

The club has not yet gotten official sign-off from state and local legislators. Both reports indicate that Nevada governor Joe Lombardo and top state lawmakers are in general support of the A’s plans, however. The team will make a formal proposal to state and local officials at a later date, though there no longer seems to be much doubt regarding its eventual approval. That the A’s have already entered into the land agreement points to the franchise’s comfort in getting a stadium deal done.

Once an agreement is finalized with the Nevada legislature and governor’s office, the A’s will be able to formally apply to MLB for relocation. Given Manfred’s comments, there’s no reason to believe that won’t receive a stamp of approval. MLB has previously set January 15, 2024, as a deadline for the A’s to have a binding stadium agreement in place if they’re to retain their status as revenue sharing recipients.

Assuming a deal with Las Vegas is indeed finalized by next January, Kaval confirmed plans to begin stadium construction at some time next year. The goal is for the facility to be ready for the opening of the 2027 season.

According to Stutz and Mueller, the plan is for the A’s to cover costs of the stadium. They’d be aided by the creation of a new taxation district covering the area which would allow for the reinvestment of sales tax proceeds and various tax credits. That plan still needs formal legislative approval from both the state and county. The parties will surely work on the specifics over the coming months.

It’s a monumental development for the sport, one that all but ensures the franchise’s forthcoming relocation. It’ll be the first time a club has changed cities in nearly two decades; the most recent relocation occurred in 2005, when the Montreal franchise moved to Washington and rebranded from the Expos to the Nationals. Previously, there’d been no relocations in MLB since 1972.

If the club’s final season in Oakland indeed turns out to be 2026, it’ll end a nearly six-decade run. The A’s first moved to Oakland in 1968, relocating from Kansas City. They’d go on to win four World Series, including a stretch of three consecutive titles within their first six years. They’ve played in the Coliseum for the entirety of that run. Now the fifth-oldest active park in MLB, the Coliseum has been a source of derision from the likes of players, fans and broadcasters in recent years.

Stadium situations for the A’s and Rays have become a significant concern for the league. The Rays have made progress in the past few months on a potential deal to stick in the Tampa area beyond the expiration of their lease in 2027, though nothing is yet official. With the A’s now set on relocation, it seems there’ll be official resolution on both situations within the next three to four years. Manfred has previously suggested the league wouldn’t consider expansion until those stadium issues are sorted out.

The A’s departure comes at a time when the organization has slashed spending and embarked on a full rebuild. No team opened the season with a lower player payroll than their approximate $56.8MM mark, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts. The on-field results have been dismal. They’ve started the season 3-16 and been outscored by a league-worst 86 runs.

The franchise’s likely move from Oakland to Las Vegas aligns with very different trajectories for the broader sports landscape in those cities. Oakland will have lost each of its NBA, NFL and MLB franchises dating back to 2019. The Warriors stayed in the Bay Area but moved to San Francisco; the Raiders preceded the A’s in departing Oakland for Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, the Nevada metropolis will have picked up franchises in each of the NHL, NFL and MLB since 2016. Vegas was granted the Golden Knights as an expansion franchise seven years ago before the Raiders’ relocation took effect in 2020.

LAS VEGAS – Five hours before show time, Garth Brooks had no idea what song he would play first during opening night of his Las Vegas residency.

Turns out it wasn’t even one of his, but Bob Seger’s “Against the Wind.”

Brooks has never been reticent about his affection for covering songs from his idols and there were many splashed throughout the nearly 2 ½-hour show at Caesars Palace Thursday night, but the newly christened Garth Brooks/Plus ONE is fully, solidly and completely an exuberant romp through the best of a country music titan.

The crux of the residency – his third since 2009 – is to expect the unexpected. Guests will pop up, Brooks’ taut 10-piece and two backup singers will unspool record-perfect renditions of his classic singalongs and Brooks will roam the Colosseum stage with his headset strapped under his chin and his acoustic guitar hanging from his shoulder.

But the songs won’t remain the same. Each night, the pre-submitted requests from audience members will differ and the sparkling vibe of Brooks’ beloved Miss Yearwood – or Trisha, as she’s also known – won’t always be present, as she was at the opener.

In addition to the 27 shows he’s performing through July and then November-December, Brooks announced 18 more shows in April-July 2024. Verified Fan registration will be open through 5 p.m. May 25 at ticketmaster.com/GarthVegas.

Earlier in the day, Brooks, 61, shared his goal for the residency.

“I want people to walk away loving each other more than when they came into the room,” he said.

More than three decades into a record-setting, hall of fame celebrated career, he remains an ebullient ringleader.

Garth Brooks shares his tears freely

As he strolled the stage in an all-black uniform of jeans, hoodie and baseball cap, toting his “g” emblazoned guitar, Brooks frequently stopped to grin uncontrollably, sheepishly run his hands through his hair as fans roared, and throw his arms wide open to embrace the sold-out crowd.

“That’s what I’m talking about!,” he bellowed after the sneak attack that introduced the band to the stage for “Rodeo.”

But as unabashedly happy as Brooks appeared throughout the show, he also didn’t hide his tears.

Whether it was his fiery hand-patting-chest rendition of Billy Joel’s “Shameless” or the uncorked emotion that feeds “The Dance,” Brooks’ piercing eyes watered as he marveled at the crowd response to his performance.

He also played part of a darkly introspective new ballad with the chorus about taking “pleasure in the pain.” The workshopping of new material is one of the reasons Brooks’ Vegas shows are phone-free experiences (don’t panic, you keep the Yondr bag containing your phone with you and there's a QR code where you can download pictures from the night).

Also, as he explained earlier Thursday, “I want the show to be brand new for (every audience), not something they can go online and see the whole damn thing.”

Garth Brooks is a no-frills kind of guy

With a setlist that included the zippy “Callin' Baton Rouge,” the locomotive groove of “Papa Loved Mama” and emotive covers of Elton John’s “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” and Seger’s “Turn the Page,” Brooks pulled from a seemingly limitless well of robust material.

He's also overflowing with unforced charisma, so a stage that featured his band spread across the back in front of a massive video screen sufficed with nary a frill.

A few cocktail tables flanked the stage for the band to convene whenever Brooks took the stage solo, but otherwise, closeups of his smile-etched face provided the main visuals.

By the time he rolled into an encore – after leaving the stage chugging a beer and proclaiming, “I hope every show gets better, but tonight was (expletive) amazing" – his infectious bliss was all that was needed to spark singalongs of Joel’s “Piano Man” and his own close-down-the-bar stomper, “Friends in Low Places.”

Trisha Yearwood is definitely in love with the boy

As the opening guitar notes of “Shallow” rang from the stage, the audience knew that inevitably, Yearwood would join her husband for their sumptuous duet of the Oscar-winning ballad from “A Star is Born.”

As she waltzed in from the wings, radiant in a patterned jumpsuit, the response was rapturous. This pair, married for 17 years, know how to tease out a duet by actually making eye contact and transferring emotion. But no doubt, this was Yearwood’s showcase, a welcome platform for her to belt.

The easy chemistry between Yearwood and Brooks was as apparent in their meshing vocals as it was their cute banter. But while Brooks graciously ceded the spotlight for Yearwood to perform her 1991 smash, “She’s in Love with the Boy,” he also came to her rescue and popped back out to sing the second verse after Yearwood amusingly forgot the words.

The 'five strong women' in Garth Brooks’ life

Brooks’ adoration of Yearwood is always readily on display, and earlier Thursday, he shared a new look: The country superstar is also sporting new body art, a tattoo of ivy covering his upper left arm.

Pulling up his sleeve, he explained the tattoo is in honor of his three daughters with their birth years – 1996, 1994 and 1992 – “so they’re always by my side.”

Brooks’ Vegas-based tattoo artist also inked his back shoulder representing his mother as “the angel on my shoulder.” His full left chest is dedicated to Yearwood. And yes, its placement over his heart is intentional.

“Five strong women in my life,” he said. “I love ‘em.”

More on the hottest shows in Vegas:

NEW YORK — The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that NBA Con, a first-of-its-kind event that blends the interests of NBA players and fans into a celebration of the best of hoops culture, will debut at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas from July 7-9, 2023. Tickets for NBA Con are on sale now at NBACon.com.

NBA Con will bring together the fashion, music, cuisine, art and technology that make the NBA a cultural phenomenon into a three-day event, highlighted by the game’s brightest stars and biggest personalities. Appearances will include legends and current NBA stars like six-time NBA champion and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Minnesota Timberwolves’ Mike Conley, Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton, New Orleans Pelicans’ CJ McCollum, Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young, and 2023 NBA Draft prospects Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, among many other names to be announced.

The NBA today announced that NBA Con, a first-of-its-kind event that blends the interests of NBA players and fans into a celebration of the best of hoops culture, will debut at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas from July 7-9.

More info ➡️ https://t.co/uhdUh66EPwhttps://t.co/ZMxWOMfo8W

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 18, 2023

NBA Con tips off the opening weekend of NBA 2K24 Summer League which begins 10 days of NBA action on Friday, July 7. NBA 2K24 Summer League will showcase the league’s top young players, many of whom are taking the floor for the first time in an NBA uniform. The event features a footprint at Mandalay Bay that is nearly 400,000 square feet and is twice the size of the NBA Crossover fan event held during NBA All-Star 2023 that welcomed more than 50,000 fans.

“NBA Con is for every fan,” said Joey Graziano, Head of Event Strategy and Development, NBA. “It combines our players’ and fans’ passion for the game with their authentic off-court interests to create unique experiences that could only come to life through NBA fandom.”

At NBA Con, fans will be able to transcend the boundaries of the court with a variety of exclusive live experiences that align with their own personal interests, including through:

The NBA has partnered with Emerald, the largest U.S.-based producer of trade shows and their associated conferences, content and commerce, to bring NBA Con to life.

“At Emerald, our core mission is to unite audiences through the power of interactive moments, which is why we are excited to partner with the NBA to create the ultimate basketball fan experience: NBA Con,” said Hervé Sedky, President & Chief Executive Officer, Emerald. “By seamlessly unifying the essence of the NBA’s lifestyle, culture, and community, we are presented with an unprecedented opportunity to elevate the game and its fans to extraordinary new heights, both on and off the court. Through NBA Con’s connected and immersive environments, we aim to deliver something truly never seen before.”

For tickets to NBA 2K24 Summer League and for more information on NBA Con, including the latest activations and appearances, follow @NBASummerLeague, @NBAConOfficial and visit NBACon.com or NBAEvents.com. Premium experiences for NBA 2K Summer League and NBA Con including small group gatherings with NBA Legends, custom merchandise and hospitality are also available at NBAExperiences.com.

Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon denied the validity of the WNBA's recent discipline, calling the allegations of pregnancy discrimination "vehemently false," in a virtual news conference with reporters on Wednesday.

One of the league's most notable figures, Hammon was suspended for two games without pay for violating the league's Respect in the Workplace policies in her comments about All-Star Dearica Hamby's pregnancy. The punishment was a result of the league's findings in two separate investigations, the WNBA announced Tuesday.

Hamby was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in January after spending eight years with the franchise that drafted her fifth overall in 2015. After the trade, she released a statement detailing "disgusting comments" and "discrimination" from her former team.

The league said it interviewed 33 people and reviewed texts, emails and other documents. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement she was "disheartened" by the violations.

“I actually haven't seen that Dearica said she received nasty texts from us," Hammon said. “I think that's completely fabricated by somebody on the outside that doesn't know what the hell's going on.”

Hammon also said that screenshots could be altered, suggesting that she was framed.

According to Hammon, no current Aces players were interviewed. She cited former Las Vegas player Liz Cambage as the only player she was aware the league spoke with. The league refuted her statement, saying no such interview occurred.

“It is true that the Respect in the Workplace violation included inappropriate questions Becky asked Dearica about her pregnancy,” a WNBA spokesperson told Yahoo Sports. “We don’t think it would be appropriate to comment beyond that.”

'Nothing personal,' Hammon says

In the other probe, the league found the Aces promised "impermissible benefits" during negotiations for Hamby’s player contract. As a result, the Aces' 2025 draft pick was taken away.

Hammon claimed that the decision to trade Hamby had nothing to do with her pregnancy and more to do with landing two-time WNBA champion Candace Parker.

“We made the decision to move Hamby because we could get three bodies in for her one contract,” Hammon said. "I think it’s very evident who we signed why we made the move, but (Hamby's pregnancy) was never an issue and it was never the reason she was traded. It just wasn’t. It came down to math and business. That’s all it was. Nothing personal."

After the trade, Hamby said she was asked if she planned her pregnancy, which she says she didn't.

"I was then told that I 'was not taking precautions to not get pregnant.' I was being traded because 'I wouldn't be ready and we need bodies'. I planned to play this season, and I have expressed my desire to play this season," she wrote in the statement.

She played while pregnant during the Aces' championship title run last season. She also has a 6-year-old daughter, Amaya. Hamby is already back on the court for the Sparks, nine weeks after giving birth.

On Wednesday, Hammon said she asked Hamby about her pregnancy once in "private conversation," but didn’t detail what she said.

“I guess you’d have to ask for (the league’s) interpretation,” she said. “But, yeah, that from my understanding was my misstep, if you will.”

WNBA ruling leaves WNBPA and Aces unhappy

The WNBPA spoke against the WNBA's ruling, arguing that Hammon and the Aces should have received a more severe punishment that would not impact a future player.

"Where in this decision does this team or any other team across the league learn the lesson that respect in the workplace is the highest standard and a player’s dignity cannot be manipulated?” the statement said.

The Aces also released a statement denouncing the league's decision, in support of Hammon.

“The WNBA’s determinations about Becky Hammon are inconsistent with what we know and love about her," the statement read. “Becky is a caring human being who forges close personal relationships with her players.”

According to Hammon, the support from Aces president Nikki Caldwell Fargas is all she needs to "keep it moving."

“I’ll take my little lump on the chin," Hammon said. "We’re bigger than this. It’s just not who the Aces are. It’s not who I am. And so, yeah, everybody’s disappointed in the situation, but at the end of the day, we know who we are and so we go to sleep every night in that truth.”

Hammon cites the nature of the job

A former WNBA player herself, Hammon claims things didn't change with Hamby until after she was traded.

"I had a great relationship with Hamby the whole time, which is probably why she felt the way she did," she said. "It feels like a betrayal. It’s a crappy part of my job, but somebody’s got to be the bearer of bad news.”

During her eight seasons as an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs, Hammon interviewed for countless NBA head coach jobs. She was the first woman to assume the head duties in an NBA game when Gregg Popovich was ejected during a December 2020 game against the Los Angeles Lakers. She also coached the Spurs to the 2015 NBA Summer League title.

In a recent profile from TIME magazine, Hammon said she won't leave her current role easily. “You’re going to have to come after me,” she said. “I’m not going to beg for a job anymore.”

She has been linked to the vacant Toronto Raptors head coach opening, but said on Wednesday that she is not "far along in the process with any team."

Her focus is on the WNBA season, which begins on Thursday.