greenie

Craze is very damn talented. Seen him do a couple of gigs and he's always nailed it. Last time was at a club in Denver when the NBA all-star game was here. Insane set. For the most part I think this board and quite a few people in Vegas have serious respect for this guy. Big question will be whether folks turn out for the gig or not. In any event, kudos to ICE for booking non-electronic talent like Craze. And bully on the other clubs for not booking artists like this a little more often.

All those casino nightclub gigs are starting to melt your brain. Next thing you know you'll be working with Rain crossovers.

Daaaaamn. If EM is throwing down an 8-hour set, that might just be enough for me to come down for a whirlwind trip, the kind where hotels aren't involved.

You know, Pure is a really nice place and I've always had a blast there but for some reason I keep hearing about shit like this happening there all the time.

Most likely the same reason they'll only have one cab line at the front of Caesar's no matter how busy it is.

I heard about the makings of this a little while back, I can't believe my luck that it's going to be the same weekend as my next scheudled trip. Fanfuckingtastic. Can't wait. Saturday night also has Christopher Lawrence *and* DJ Dan in a double bill... I'm not missing that, so hopefully Electric Skychurch isn't going on until the early hours of the morning at Empire. That's usually when they're at their best anyhow. The TBA event for Friday night at ICE is being promoted as Glaude's regular TGIF gig with Joe Mazzola along for the ride. In any event, looks like I'm bouncing between ICE and Empire a lot this weekend.

vegasguy25 hits the nail on the head. Drai's is a place you go to hang out afterhours, meet people, perhaps dance a tony bit. Empire is a nightclub that targets afterhours, you go there to dance and/or dig the music. They're equally good and fun in their own respects. If someone is a Drai's "loyalist" then I don't think there's anything that anyone could say about Empire to make them thing it's any better. However, if your bro lives out there and goes to Drai's that much, then I'd hope he wouldn't mind taking a night off to head over to Empire. For that matter, if he's a regular he can probalby get in/out of Drai's without much difficulty, he could always do one then the other. Better yet, why not spend one night at each? Oh, and I forgot to say that the others above are absolutelygoddamnright about Morillo... no club allegiance should be so big that it keeps someone away from one of his gigs.

For me it's allllllll about the music. If a DJ plays an great set the very first time I hear them in person, then I remember their name. If anything, I tend to respect the DJs that keep everything else (name, clothes, whatever) basic but read and respond to the crowd. Joey Mazzola is probably the best & most recent example of this for me.

This is twice in two threads you've said this today. Which posts mentioned this, more to the point, which venues? If you've got a different opinion, how about sharing it? I feel like you're attacking me here, simply because I recommended that people get to clubs early and/or that I mentioned that I haven't had difficulty on recent trips. I respect your business but let's be honest, getting in to a popular club doesn't require using a VIP host each and every time.

Might I recommend leading by positive example rather than negative, personal attacks? As great as Slide Sundays might be, there are countless people on this board -- especially those "lurkers" who only pop in to see what others are saying about Vegas clubs -- who have been entirely turned off from giving it a try. Similarly, regulars aren't exactly jumping at the opportunity to recommend the event. To his credit, Freeze has personally invited many regulars on this board to come check out his event, also offering to make sure people are taken care of when they arrive. Unfortunately, these efforts are largely overshadowed by the negative approach taken towards other clubs, DJs and clubgoers. With the increasing popularity of guys like P, Z-Trip, AM, Cut Chemist and Shadow, certainly there's a growing interest among the public to catch that kind of DJ in a club, let alone the addition of other elements that make up the "true" or "complete" hip-hop scene. Throw that in with the growing popularity of acts like J5, Blackalicious, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli (like you said, tracks that you rarely hear in Vegas clubs), and certainly among such a big nightlife market in Vegas there's gotta be room for more nights that resemble Slide Sundays. But the reality is that someone who starts looking around at clubs doesn't hear about DJ P throwing down a mad set, they don't hear that he's mixing up funk, soul, rap and rock from every corner of the last 35 years. Instead, they hear the promoter of this whining, complaining and finger-pointing at other clubs... the same clubs that the majority of clubgoers have an incredible time at. I appreciate that you're motivation in this discussion is somewhat different that that of Freeze. However please consider that positive promotion is always going to get you a lot farther than negative slams. If you truly want to educate people, don't tell them that a certain DJ sucks, or cheats, is fake, or has no clue about music. Especially not when he's someone that's respected and enjoyed by the public. Instead, encourage someone to check out someone that you like and respect that much more -- and let them make up their own minds.

The last few times that I've mentioned hearing DJs in Vegas pulling out tracks from artists like People Under the Stairs, Latyrx, Pharcyde, and Del, your buddy Freeze shat on me simply for bringing it up.

Perhaps you don't realize that "DJ" is short for Disc Jockey, a term that's been around since the 1940s, and has always meant simply "an individual who plays pre-recorded music for the enjoyment of others." We all know what you're trying to convey. Not only do we get it, but we agree with it. Masterweb and others are not battle DJs, they're not vinyl jugglers, they're not going to the far corners of their record collection to entertain the crowd with unique track selections. Perhaps you don't get the fact that OPM (and others) refer to what they offer as "hip-hop" simply because that's what the clubgoers, musicians, and industry call "hip-hop". Right or wrong, it's reality. Especially in Vegas. This is a community message board, based around the concept that the vast majority of people here support everyone's efforts related to nightclubs. Whether that's as a promoter, host, server, clubgoer or a CD-playing DJ, the simple fact is that we all are passionate about nightlife. Doesn't matter what kind of music someone plays, doesn't matter what crowd they cater to. We respect each other because we understand we're all part of the scene in one way or another. We're just sick and tired of people coming into this community and trying to tear it down for no reason other than personal issues.

My two cents on the places you asked about below. I'm gonna be in town Thursday-Monday that same weekend, shoot me a PM if you'd like to meet up at all. Pure: go on Tuesday. No question. Just make sure to get there early, or go VIP. Tao: I've gone there three times now, twice part of a group of 4-5 guys, and no problems getting in after waiting just a few minutes in the regular line right around 11. If you think you're going to be getting there after midnight... line passes. Drai's: Get there *early* or plan on slipping $40 per guy in your group to a doorman. Note that you may still be paying cover on top of that, so if you know in advance when you want to hit Drai's, I'd recommend talking to DarkVixen or finding a VIP host who can help you out. Empire: great spot, you'll definitely have a good time there. They've just added a second night, so you can choose between Friday and Saturday. No worries on getting in to the place for the most part... but the weekend you're going out (the 17th), they are planning on bringing in some BIG names (Oakenfold for one) to have a pseudo-reunion/flashback night to honor Utopia. Body English: Sundays at BE are the cornertsone of every trip for me (about once every 4-6 weeks). I've never had anything less than a stellar time there, doesn't matter whether I get in on a table or just find my way in. Always seem to meet more people at BE than I do anywhere else. After BE closes down, make sure to go across the street to the Rainbow. OPM: For fans of modern hip-hop music, there is no better spot in town. Personally I prefer Fridays at OPM, but I think you'll be happy with either Fri or Sat. Make damn sure to get there before 11, the lines have been nuts lately. And along the lines of your interest, I always meet plenty of ladies here.

Interesting. I stood just off to the side of Josh Wink for the bulk of his set at Jet on opening weekend, and they had a much, much, much better board set up (and the sound in the house room was excellent). I can't imagine that Wink traveled with this gear, but perhaps Jet only rented the equipment for the weekend. Unfortunate that Garcia was given such crap to work with. Good to know that the sound at Empire has improved. Opening weekend there it was good, but nothing that amazed... I thought perhaps it was more in my mind since I had gone there directly from ICE.

Just to clarify... although I mentioned Friday/Saturday for OPM, hip-hop is strong there Thursday and Sunday as well. I think on Thursdays they also do old school in the second room. Sunday Night Hype has been popular enough that it's now a regular event, so if you're into Bay Area styles and a slightly more hardcore scene, it's a great choice. Hung with some friends last night, big hip-hop folks, that were in Vegas over the weekend. They did OPM on Friday, Tao on Saturday and back to OPM on Sunday. They had a blast at all three nights, and were originally planning on doing Tabu or Body English on Sunday, but between talking to OPM staff on Friday and the music at Tao on Sunday, they decided to go back to OPM. Said Sunday was absolutely insane, music really tight and the crowd was nuts.

Whereas you are rubbing elbows with the power elite of MGM/Mirage? For that matter, what do you have to do with Tabu the other 6 nights a week?

Agree with Ed. If you're looking for hip-hop music, ICE is not really the place to go unless they've got a big hip-hop DJ booked for that night (which is rare). In my opinion If you're really looking for pure hip-hop (that is, by the common, modern definition) music and atmosphere, then you have to make sure to spend a Friday or Saturday night at OPM. Slide Sundays at Tabu are great for old-school hip-hop. Tao, Jet, Body English, and Pure will all feature hip-hop with the occasional rock mash-up, but for the most part the music will be more of what you'll find on MTV. Some of the better DJs (like AM at Pure) will at least get quite creative in their mixes, and occasionally throw in a rarely-heard gem from the early/mid 90s (last time I heard AM he dropped People Under the Stairs), but for the most part all of these clubs go very much mainstream with their tunes. Thing is, all of these places are outstanding establishments and will offer you a damn good time and a damn good crowd.

Spearmint Rhino continues to be a damn solid choice. Whenever I'm in town with non-regulars who want to hit up the strip clubs, I've taken them there and they've always been very pleased and impressed.

I've spent a great amount of time standing behind the booth at OPM, watching Masterweb cut, scratch, beatmatch, blend and layer. Perhaps someone at Tangerine was "faking" it, but MW has solid skills and he puts them to use every single night, and he's earned the respect of a great many artists and serious fans as a result. Is he a battle DJ? Hell no. But he's someone that never lets the crowd down on the dance floor. Unlike a lot of other DJs in town (anywhere, for that matter) he doesn't need to resort to playing some "hot radio track" in order to re-populate the floor; that's because at OPM, the dance floor gets packed early and stays that way until the very late hours. Again, don't hate the player. Hate the game.

Sounds like you should be the one promoting Slide Sundays on the boards. And on flyers, for that matter, which only minimally suggest what you mention. That's telling it like it is and note the differences without resorting to BS. That said, the media is not alone in what constitutes the current state of hip-hop. The artists and the fans have all gone along for the ride the whole time, and with few objections. Also it should be said that one of the things that I like about OPM is that for the most part, it's only early in the evening there that you hear more "radio-friendly" (or radio-common) tracks. Once things get past 1am, most of the tracks are probably heard on perhaps a dozen stations around the country. And certainly not VH1.

I went to the Tiesto show. Pretty amazing setup, both sound and visual aspects were absolutely mind-blowing. I've never been to a show quite like this and doubt I ever will again. Lights, video, lasers, pyro, even balloons. Really good fucking time. Best of all, the huge number and variety of live performers really set it off, and allowed Tiesto to mix in a lot of musical styles that you generally don't hear out of a trance DJ (e.g. a really killer samba/Carnivale session with live drums and brazilian dancers, a sweet set with Taiko drummers, etc) The floor of the arena was mostly filled, and at any time it seemed like the seating was maybe one-fifth or so occupied. The Orleans holds something like 18K for concerts between the floor and the seats, so I'll guess there were around 8-10K people there. The crowd size was actually ideal as you had enough room to dance just about wherever you wanted, I couldn't even begin to let you know all the tracks he played, but I will say that he was really on fire and certainly didn't limit himself to focusing on ISOS4 tracks or other trance tunes that you hear most everywhere. There were a number of times when I would take a break from the floor and chill out in the seats and really focus on the music, and then realize he was working four or five tracks together, sampling, looping, building, progressing and dropping them in and out seamlessly. Easily some of the best multi-track EDM layering I've ever heard in a live setting, and it really gave me a new respect for Tiesto's abilities behind the decks. The music alone blew the doors off of any club date I've ever heard him play. Tiesto played from shortly after 9pm until just before 4am -- and he was boucning around his entire booth the entire time, constantly pumped and working the crowd. No question he was really into the entire show, as was the crowd.

I do believe I just swallowed my tongue, for I am speechless.

He's got a funny way of "educating." Yeah, shitting on what everyone else does is a real way to make people feel welcome to take part in an evening of "friendly competition." Nobody, not one person, on this board has put down Slide Sundays for what it is. In fact, most people here have given full credit to the event. But Freeze feels a need to put down every other club, event and musical style. If "real hip-hop is about being creative with what you have" and doing so "in any kind of art form," then what's so bad about other types of music? Or other venues? Or DJ tools?

Two Vegas (read: long) blocks east. A $5-10 cab ride depending on where you're starting out. A pittance of an expense if you're into electronic music at all. I've walked (read: meandered, swayed and stumbled) from ICE to Drai's (on the Strip) the strip before and it's about a 20-25 minute walk. ICE to Aladdin may not be the most well-lit nor safest stretch to walk at 4AM, but when you're with a small group of buzzed individuals, man do you feel invulnerable.

This poll forces you to vote on every category while at the same time allows you to vote as many times as you like. Sheesh.