Índex per Autumn 2020 a Chic Compass

Sometimes it’s hard to think about or really get into places where we grew up. I grew up in this awesome small town, Waynesville, North Carolina, and lived there until I was about 18 years old. From that time forward, I lived in a lot of other places around the country and would go to visit my family there at least once a year. We don’t often know what is going to happen in our lives … sometimes you make your own plans … and sometimes you adjust to those close to you. In February of this year, I went back to Waynesville to take care of my mother. I wasn’t sure how that would work out, but after about five months, the decision was made for me to move…

Music is what feelings sound like, and The Vegas Room is where you can find the sounds of those feelings. You can find this nostalgic jewel in the desert at 953 E. Sahara Avenue, Suite E 18, in the Historic Commercial Center. It is where you will experience the sounds of artistry, harmony, and fun. It is a love affair that culminates in a marriage between live musical entertainment and the culinary cuisine of an old fashion Las Vegas Supper club. Doesn’t this sound romantically nostalgic? Life without music is a mistake, and there are no false notes in this establishment. You receive the red-carpet celebrity treatment the moment you step through their signature double red doors. You genuinely feel that something auspicious is about to happen for you. Your…

Six months have passed since the global pandemic first triggered a tidal wave of economic panic across the country. The ripple effect is affecting people’s livelihoods, their life savings, and their homes, and making it almost impossible for many to keep their heads above water. “We’re having a financial Armageddon right now, if you will, that is tied to a medical event—finance and medicine—and it’s like the perfect storm,” financial consultant Joe Pantozzi says. Pantozzi is the CEO and founder of Alpha Omega Wealth. The Las Vegas-based financial consulting firm helps clients build prosperity and wealth without Wall Street. Now more than ever, people are admitting they need help with their money—or lack of it—but he admits, navigating these rough waters without fear requires a strong financial compass. “People are…

If you haven’t heard of Ricky Kej, you are in for a treat when you learn all that he’s doing through music to bring hope to a world that is desperate for change. Even more so, when you become aware of his beliefs and efforts to bring about a better world by caring for Mother Nature and each other, you will understand why he is so honored across the globe. He is truly “one in a million,” a gifted artist with heart. When you listen to his music, I believe you will feel like I do—like the love of the Universe is wrapping its arms around you, leaving you in a safe, beautiful sense of community with all that is. It is for me an uplifting and glorious experience each…

Jaime Lim is a world-renown Fashion Photographer sought by many high-profile fashion publications. His studio, Liquid Star Photography, introduces us to an ethereal world of fantasy and magic when Jaime picks up his camera and begins to capture what only his eye can see and duplicate. He is a highly accomplished artist who has figured out how to create a piece of art with a simple click of his camera. Like any great artist, Jaime painstakingly captures a moment in time that is unique to him. His mission is to create a love affair with the subject and their surroundings so that the audience connects to the image and falls in love with what he is trying to convey. To say that Jaime’s photography can take your breath away is…

An orchestra tunes itself to a very particular frequency, usually 440 hertz, a note known as A 440. As the Smith Center for the Performing Arts [“The Smith Center”] has passed its eighth anniversary, it is well-tuned for the year 2020. It would also be safe to say The Smith Center has operated at peak performance since opening night. Long before listening to recorded music was as accessible as donning headsets or earbuds, concert halls became the norm for listening to music in large spaces designed solely for that purpose. Performing Arts Centers or PACS embody not only musical performances but dance, theater, and even the spoken word. The earliest such centers may have been in Greece in the 6th century BC, where Socrates delivered his tragic poetry and…

In Paso Robles, California, the hills are alive with…mounds of illuminated fiber-optic spheres (58,800 to be exact). Bruce Munro: Field of Light at Sensorio is an impressive outdoor, walk-through art installation nestled along Route 46 in Central California’s wine country. It is a sight to behold. British artist Bruce Munro, 61, designed the solar-powered orbs to slowly morph from translucent white to a rainbow of colors, lighting up the landscape as the sun sets over the horizon. The 15-acre interactive attraction is a stunning array of originality and must be experienced to be believed. “[Field of Light at Sensorio] is the biggest I’ve ever done by quite some margin,” Munro says. The Internationally-acclaimed artist planted his latest scenic sculpture in Paso Robles last year following successful Field of Light exhibitions in…

Once you listen to Wouter Kellerman play his flute, it will take you more than a few minutes to come back to earth. His playing is magical. When I first listened to Wouter play some of his pieces, his notes were light, airy, and full of fun. His music made me smile because the figure that came to my mind was Puck in William Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream—that clever, mischievous fairy. Yet, the beauty of his playing in Return to Nature from Ricky Kej’s album Shanti Samsara brought tears to my eyes because it was such an awe-inspiring experience. Making music with his breath, Wouter brings life to the sounds of the flute that often get overlooked. Wouter Kellerman is an award-winning musician from South Africa. His debut…

Like so many cultural groups across the country, Nevada Ballet Theatre saw its new season upended and suspended overnight by an invisible, lethal virus. NBT’s scenario presents a parallel universe to the unprecedented challenges facing many Las Vegas professional sports leagues as well. How does a dance company keep its highly trained elite athletes in prime shape - let alone healthy - with barriers to physical interaction in the rehearsal studio? How can the company maintain the chemistry of ensemble works without performing on stage before a live audience? And how far will the company be forced to push back its season, with the uncertain specter of COVID still looming? Perhaps most important is determining how the company can stay afloat financially without ticket sales, engaged donors, and live audiences…

It has been said that ‘too many cooks spoil the broth.’ But at Heavenly Pies, a new neighborhood pizza joint in Southwest Las Vegas, two chefs are better than one. James Beard Award-winning Chef Luciano Pelligrini (pictured above), 55, has partnered with his cousin, Texas transplant Chef David Ryan Brister, 35, to show off their artisanal spin on traditional pizza. They hope the family who blaze together stays together. “Definitely, he’s in charge,” Brister says of his internationally-acclaimed partner. “I’m his uh, how do I put it? I’m like the …” “Chef b***ch,” Pelligrini jokes. Of course, a pair of cookin’ cousins wisecracking doesn’t come as a surprise; it only adds to their devilish appeal. Despite a 20-year age difference, they seem to enjoy stirring the pot. Says Pelligrini, “If…

GFWC (General Federation of Women’s Clubs) is an international women’s organization dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service. It is the world’s largest and oldest nonpartisan, nondenominational, women’s volunteer service organization. GFWC clubs and clubwomen are the heart of not only the Federation but the communities in which they live and work. By “Living the Volunteer Spirit,” GFWC clubwomen transform lives each day, not merely with monetary donations, but with hands-on, tangible projects that provide immediate impact. With a grassroots approach that often thinks locally but impacts globally, GFWC, its clubs, and members remain committed to serving as a force for global good, as it has done since its formation. With nearly 80,000 members in affiliated clubs in every state, the District of Columbia,…