Matt Maeson
Alternative Rock Concert
Sept 26
Matt Maeson is a musical enigma: His songs “Cringe” and “Hallucigenics” were Billboard Alternative Chart toppers in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Yet, his music doesn’t sound like it’d qualify for a Billboard number one song: It’s experimental, raw, and far from stereotypical. Good on the radio, but even better in person, especially at a venue like Brooklyn Bowl, where you’re free to groove to your heart’s content, sans chairs. While I’ll be listening for his hit, "Tread on Me,” his That’s My Cue Tour setlist will offer plenty of other bops from his seven-year-long discography. 7:30p, $30, Brooklyn Bowl, brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas
Las Vegas Greek Festival
Food Festival
Sept 15-17
Go for the spanakopita and gyros, stay for the Theotokos icons and music by Synthesi. Yep, it’s time for the annual Las Vegas Greek Festival, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Theophiles looking to learn more about the religion of Greece can join one of the tours of the gorgeous St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, offered during the Festival weekend. Athletic types can join the 26.2-mile torch relay and run off all that Baklava in support of a local charity ($200 donation required to participate). Friday 3-11p, Saturday 12-11p, Sunday 12-10p, St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, lasvegasgreekfest.com
Life is Beautiful
Music Festival
Sept 22-24
It seems like the first Life is Beautiful was just yesterday, yet this year is the festival’s 10th anniversary. That’s not to say it’s gotten stale; each year’s musical lineup offers plenty to get excited about. For me, this year, it’s Khalid and Dayglow. Other headliners include The 1975 (a must-see for Switfties), Reneé Rapp, Bebe Rexha, Raye and — drumroll please — Kendrick Lamar!?! It’s a solid, diverse group … and we haven’t even started talking about the food, lectures, and visual arts yet. 3:30p-1a, $150-3,350, Downtown Las Vegas, lifeisbeautiful.com
Fall Plant Sale
Market
Sept 23
There are two kinds of people: those who are good with plants, and those who desperately want to be good with plants. (I see you, group No. 2.) Both frequent greenhouses and plant sales, and the mother of them all is the Springs Preserve’s Fall Plant Sale. A step up from the usual plant supply markets, this one features an abundance of desert-adapted and hard-to-find plants, as well as actual experts on hand to educate you on keeping your new little friend happy and thriving. It’ll be a perfect souvenir from a day at the Springs Preserve, since every time you water (or, in my case, forget to water) your plant, you’ll remember your favorite desert oasis. 9a-3p, free with admission, Springs Preserve, springspreserve.org
Lakota Nation vs. United States: Screening and Poetry Reading
Film and Discussion
Sept 28
What do you get when you combine three bigger than life institutions in the local cultural scene with a stirring, boundary-breaking documentary? A can’t-be-missed screening of the film Lakota Nation vs. United States, and a companion poetry reading by the movie’s writer and narrator, Layli Long Soldier! Focusing on Indigenous resilience and bravery in the face of violence and hardship, this event marks the inaugural collaboration between the Black Mountain Institute, Nuwu Art, and the Beverly Theater. The first but, as we can all hope, not the last. The Beverly Theater, 6:30p, free, thebeverlytheater.com
