Swimming in Metal

With all due respect to the disco era, there’s been no bigger musical punching bag over the past 40 years than 1980s “hair metal.” Mocked for their hairspray-enhanced locks and lipstick-and-eyeliner looks, hair-metal bands have long been ridiculed as all style, no substance (even the term “hair metal” is soaked with derision).

Of course, as was the case with disco, hair-metal bands certainly had (and continue to have) mass appeal, judging by the millions of records, concert tickets and T-shirts sold. Granted, in 2018, sold-out arenas have given way to intimate clubs—and most of the long manes have given way to, well, Father Time—but the fact is ’80s metal is very much alive and well. This week, genre legends Great White, pictured, and Slaughter roll their Marshall stacks into town for a double bill of hard-rocking hits and sing-along power ballads.

For Great White, this means “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” “Rock Me,” and “Save Your Love.” For Vegas’ own Slaughter, it means “Up All Night” and “Fly to the Angels.” And for fans, it means another chance to throw a defiant fist in the air, as if to say to the hair-band haters, “All style, no substance? Hogwash!” –Matt Jacob

Golden Nugget, 8 p.m. Nov. 16, starting at $59 plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster

Wing It

The first thing you’ll notice about Jammyland, a Jamaican-themed bar and restaurant created by New Yorkers Danielle Crouch and Allan Katz, is the bar’s sizable patio, decorated with twinkling lights and flanked by two beautiful murals. It’s the kind of inviting, unique space that beckons to anyone walking by. Wooden tables, steel fixtures and exposed beams compete with more festive décor like glowing yellow and green orbs, candles and a row of lush succulents.

If there’s any indication that a lot of thought went into planning Jammyland, it’s the bar’s drink menu. The Brazilian Necktie (no relation to the Colombian one) is a spicy take on a Gordon’s Cup. Not for the light-hearted, this one gets some serious heat by way of Serrano and Anaheim pepper-infused cachaca, lime, cucumber, turbinado syrup, smoked sea salt and cracked pepper.

Jammyland’s food menu features plenty of Jamaican-themed goodness like beef-and-pork-blended Jammy sliders, but seriously, you gotta head straight for the 24-hour jerk wings, each weighing a third of a pound and smoked in-house. You want ‘em hot? You might be surprised just how hot they can make ‘em.

Jammyland might be the new kid on the block, but it’s already becoming a favorite with locals and tourists alike. From the old-school ska and reggae playing overhead to its laid-back vibe, Downtown’s latest approaches serious cocktail and music culture with playful charisma. –Las Vegas Magazine Staff

1121 S. Main St., opens at 6 p.m. Wed.-Sun. 702.800.9098

Home Grown

Because Nevada now boasts a booming brewery industry, there’s a new bar to acknowledge it. Nevada Taste Site features at least 20 Nevada-brewed beers, and owner Derek Stonebarger has also paired up with chef Nikki Hughes, formerly at Le Pho, to bring Thai-inspired dishes like chicken satay, baked wings and tofu sliders to hungry patrons. It’s history, beer and food—all local. –Las Vegas Magazine Staff

1221 S. Main St., call for hours. 702.381.0812