greenie

No Tao in Boston, but John Lyons, who owns Avalon in Boston (and NYC and LA) was one of the chief designers of the layout, lighting and sound for Tao Vegas. Pretty sure Lyons also designed the lighting and sound system for Jet, too, not sure about any other involvement there. Lyons also owns a few other clubs in Boston and LA, not sure about NYC.

Yep, my bad, I did mean Saturday. And just to clarify, it's not just "big 5" that are stacked to the ceiling on Saturday -- OPM, Light, Tangerine, 54, and Rain will all pack them in as well. Ice can get slammed with a big DJ in town, but only times I've seen it truly mobbed is on big weekends with major names on the decks. I'd also like to back up what MasterWeb says about getting a drink quickly at OPM. Along with the music, I've always felt the bar staff (along with hosts and door staff) there is among the most professional of any popular nightclub in town. No mater how crowded it may get inside, the bartenders not serve and without fuss, but they always know who they should serve next. The entire OPM staff is clearly aware that top service earns top dollar, whereas I think a lot of clubs in town have staffers that believe it should be the other way around. As for music, to make myself clear for people who are big fans of modern/urban hip-hop, there is no other major club on the Strip that compares to OPM. Pure, Tao, Jet etc will play a lot of hip-hop in their main rooms, but it's generally confined to current mainstream stuff that you hear on the radio, MTV, etc. At OPM you won't hear Gwen Stefani's attempt at "hip-hop," nor will you hear any rock mixed in or mashed up. In no way am I digging on any other club, just trying to make sure people know the difference between what "hip-hop" at OPM versus other joints. OPM certainly isn't for everyone, but if you're accustomed to an urban hip-hop club and/or really love modern hip-hop grooves, it's an incredible spot.

Prior to spring 2005 I used to get comp rooms at TI and thus spent a lot of time at Tangerine and Mist. Have been back to each once or twice in the past few months and the routine seems the same, so I'm going to assume it's no different right now. Anyway, at Tangerine you'll have no cover but still wait in the general line. You can ask the concierge about getting front-of-line privileges, or grease a host or doorman. The deck is great especially with the live drummers, but the main room is a bit small so it gets VERY packed. Tangerine is still a good club, it's just not on the level of BE, Pure, Tao, and Jet or Tryst these days. As for Mist, I've never once seen them charge cover. Longest line I've ever seen there is maybe a dozen people, and the one or two times that happened I walked past the line, flashed the room key and walked right in. Decent little lounge but nothing amazing, and there's not a massive demand there. Every major club is packed to the rafters on a Sunday night. How quickly you can get a drink from the bar will depend largely on your skills and at getting noticed by a bartender. If your group are really big fans of hip-hop, and want to go to a club that plays only hip-hop (at least until very late, when a little dancehall kicks in), then I couldn't more strongly recommend OPM for at least one of your nights. Big, popular clubs that support guest lists typically have two lines; one for the general public, and one for the lists and advance ticket sales. Golden rule: if a deal for passes sounds to good to be true, it is. For all your questions about bottle service, you should get in touch with a club host or an independent VIP host. Bottle minimums and prices vary from club to club, even night to night.

Checking in on this very forum will tell you everything you need to know, both officially and unofficially. I wouldn't count on catching a major electronic DJ at a place like Pure, BE or Tao; you'll see them at Ice or Empire. Even Jet has yet to have electronic in their main room -- Deep Dish on MDW will be the first.

Daaaaaaaaaaaamn after looking at the Napkin Nights pictures, looks like opening day was pretty solid. Found ukjay in there, but surprised I didn't see my man Bill. Guess NN didn't stick around til mid-afternoon... but still damn impressive, what with 80 pages of photos or something like that. Anyway, in looking through the photos and watching that video, doesn't seem like it was overly crowded, at least not by my standards and previous Rehab experience. Might be able to make it to Rehab mid-afternoon Sunday on MDW, all depends on how far my team makes it in our tournament. Otherwise I've got my June and July trips already booked.

True, true. I do always get a good laugh at Ice (and sometimes at Empire) when I'm on the main floor an asian chick or two begins dancing with me... and within a matter of minutes two gals turns into a dozen asian dudes. All trying to look tough while they dance to... electronic music... bwahaahaaaa. (not that I'm some amazing dancer or anything, I just tend to be loose and let go, and Vegas gals seem to dig it)

No argument here, and I'm right with you when you say that there are more than a few hosts and websites out there that are charging exorbitant rates. It should also be mentioned that there are quite a few doormen and club hosts that similarly fleece clubgoers. Sounds like you're the kind of person who sets a baseline on what you want to make throughout the course of an evening and/or for certain activities, rather than the kind of person that insists on working a high percentage. Or worse, charging based on the naivete of the client. I'd also wager that you're someone who is at least minimally selective about what you'll do for certain clients. Speaking as someone who conducts their business in a similar fashion (albeit in a different industry), I have a lot of respect for anyone that works in this manner. Truth is, I don't mind that there are dozens upon dozens of self-proclaimed "hosts" that are charging ridiculous rates. I've done my homework and I know who's fair and who's not, who's in the business because they love what they do versus who's in the business because they see it as an easy buck. All this said, expense is just like beauty: it's in the eye of the beholder. Spending $200 per head simply to skip the line may sound ridiculous to you and I, but to those with disposable income it's a drop in the bucket. These are the same people who don't hesitate to shell out $400 per weekend night at the Hard Rock, when the very same room often goes for $79 Sunday-Thursday. And let's be honest: stories about people spending $200 to skip the line contribute greatly to the overall image of the Vegas club scene.

While the lines can be avoided if you're a hotel guest... no way you can avoid the crowd. Sounds miserably packed, and with Rehab booking the likes of Tiesto this summer, certainly seems the Hard Rock is going for that sardine thing.

It's been a few years since I did any passes like that in Vegas, so I can't say how well they'll work. Like ****** said, ask Vegas.com. If they don't respond, perhaps that'll help answer your question on how valid they are. Note also that front-of-line passes are very often only "front-of-the-walk-up-line" passes. It's the same with guest lists in that there's a good chance that you'll still be in a line, albeit a smaller one, with everyone else who bought a pass.

But will you do that for just anyone? I assume you offer that sort of treatment only for limo clients who book a fair amount of time in your ride. If you really want to talk about deals, a sizable group of my friends had dinner at Boa last weekend. Before they ordered dessert one of them asked the manager about Pure, and the manager in turn set them up with a prime table in the main room; they walked over with one of the hostesses from Boa and went right in with no waiting. So how do you view that? On the one hand they didn't have to pay a host or anyone else any sort of fat tip to set up a table at Pure on a busy night. On the other hand, you know they dropped a load of cash at dinner. Whether VIP host or limo driver or restaurant or casino host, one way or another, people are going to make their money...

Yup yup yup if you dig the DJ that is headlining whatever night you go, then you'll be in heaven. If it's a really big DJ that draws a huge crowd, make sure to get your table(s) in the arena, as that's the only way to guarantee you'll have space to dance. Otherwise if it's not as big a draw, you may want to get your table(s) elsewhere, especially if you need a break every once in a while from the bombast.

You can certainly get by with tipping doormen in vegas, especially if you know how to recognize the right ones to talk to and know how to avoid getting fleeced. Line passes are only as legit as the hosts you get them from. In other words, don't buy them at random off the street, from cabbies or via eBay. Look through the threads here, you'll see who the VIP hosts are and contact them. If they haven't already contacted you.

Doubt there will be much in the way of pool events during the week and no official pool events for Saturday or Monday have yet been announced. Rehab on Sundays plays primarily house/trance but they do mix it up, especially if the crowd responds positively. And yes there are already other threads giving the scoop on the big MDW weekend events, tons if information is already there (and will grow over the next few weeks). Some really incredible lineups for electronic music over the weekend.

Late Night Empire typically starts up at 3am. Don't know what DJ will open the late night session but Faarsheed will most likely start sometime between 4:00-4:30. For his sets at Empire, Faarsheed typically starts with some thumping progressive and gradually moves into melodic trance late (after 8am). Faarsheed kicks ass and has a very loyal following of Vegas locals and regulars. Worth mentioning is that on Saturday Faarsheed is combining both ICE and Empire into one loooong 10-hour session for his CD release party, so if you're heading out before 2AM you should strongly consider going to ICE first and then following Faarsheed over to Empire.

Empire.

If a pool is hosting a party event (e.g. Rehab at Hard Rock) then they typically will offer admission to non-guests for a cover charge. Otherwise if it's not a special event, over MDW it can be tough to get into the better pools at hotels you're not staying at, at least Fri/Sat/Sun. Most of them at least want to see a room key, the bigger ones will actually scan your key card to verify that you've got an active room there. That's been my experience, anyway... perhaps others here can shed some light or maybe share a trick or two for getting in.

Depends on what you mean by "easiest and quickest." Certainly the easiest and quickest way into a popular club is to work with a host and make a table reservation, or at the very least buy line passes. Then you can show up at the prime time and walk right in. In other words, do you want to spend the cash? The other easy and quick way into a club is to pick the less-popular spots and/or go to a popular club on a slow night (note that some of the extremely popular clubs don't really have slow nights). You'll either walk right in or perhaps wait just a few minutes, but the question here is will you be happy with a half-empty club? Truth be told, it's extremely easy to get into any club in Vegas. Provided you're willing to get in line very, very early. Are you willing to wait two hours in line outside a top club to ensure that you'll be inside before midnight? It's not hard... it just might be boring and tedious. And certainly not "quick." If you line up for a major club on a big night between 9:00-9:30, you'll generally be in good shape to get in when they open. After 10:00pm, you're risking back of the line and a more fickle door staff by the time you reach them. My recommendation for anyone lining up for any club is that it never hurts to get to the door 2 hours before a place opens. If there's no line, go grab a drink somewhere else and come back in half an hour (with another cocktail or two in hand), check the line and repeat the process as necessary. And if there's already a massive line 2 hours before opening, then you've got plenty of time to consider whether a 2+ hour wait is worthwile versus hitting another venue. I totally agree with the "plan plan plan" statement. Just note that it's Vegas, thus "planning" means making your decision a few hours a head of time.

Hey man, 4AM. Brotha's gotta eat.

I haven't been to Crobar NYC in quite a while but compared to the clubbing I used to do in Boston and NYC, even the worst crowds I've run into in Vegas are not quite as bad as the words nights back east. I'll leave the statistical experts to tell you square-footage-wise whether Tao, Jet or Pure (or even 54) is the biggest, but they're all pretty damn sizeable. Tao, Jet and Pure all have house areas; the lounge in Tao and the deck on Pure are more geared to hanging out (brighter lighting and more tables), whereas the house room at Jet is more geared to shaking that thang (darker with louder tunes). Tryst is a gorgeous club with a beautiful people, definitely a good time, definitely worth a visit.

Unfortunately, Teatro closed two weekends ago. Otherwise read through some of the many other threads on this board for opinions, particularly the "Vegas Itineary 2006" (or something like that)

Or really mix it up the music and atmosphere and do Rehab -> BE -> Rainbow -> Seamless.

Rehab issues wrist bands.

Wow, that's some really impressive and lofty plans that Venetian has for extensions to Tao and the pool. Really makes me think about how much Mandalay Bay is missing the boat here. Now, it's been a few years since I've stayed at the Venetian. But I've never gotten the impression that the weekend crowds booking rooms there are as prone to the Miami/Ibizia/Mykonos style of pool/beach parties... as compared to say, those booking rooms at the Hard Rock. Maybe it won't matter much, but one of the things that I've always felt makes Rehab so succesful is that it's not just a promoted event, it's really an extension of the entire party vibe that the entire hotel focuses on. So I'll be very curious to see how the Venetian tries to cross-promote room bookings with their new pool scene.

Personally I'd recommend doing either Tao or Jet instead of Pure. Opinions differ on w hether Tao or Jet are more packed; I think Tao is worse than Jet, but I've never been packed in like cattle the way I have the last few times I've done Pure on a Friday/Saturday. Pure is a killer club, the roof is spectacular, but for me the crowds and overall hassle can be buzzkills. Of course, if you're doing tables the crowd consideration may be somewhat of a moot point. You'll always have plenty of room to groove at your own table, but the main floors at all three clubs will be packed like a cattle car. When taking a diverse group with me to do a table, here are the things that make Jet my favorite: 1. Three rooms with not only three types of music, but three different vibes. 2. Even the most novice of clubbers will go dig in the rock/mash/whatever room. 3. No matter how crowded, very quick to go room-to-room. And then my own personal preferences: 4. Joey Mazzola on Saturdays in the house room. 5. Always room to dance in the house room, the vibe is very much pro-dancing, and the crowd is always grooving. All that said, unless you've been to Tao in NYC, you'll be amazed at the incredible decor and layout of the place.

No later than 10, earlier would be even better. Grab a couple of cocktails and get social in the line for an hour or so. Better yet, drop a the extra coin on a reliable VIP host who can get you past the line.