greenie

Mr Freeze: perhaps you'll understand if I put it this way: don't hate the player, hate the game. The only reason that clubs will refer to themselves as playing "hip-hop" music (or "house" or whatever) is simply because that's what the clubgoers in Vegas understand. Whether tourists, regulars or locals, what matters is what "hip-hop" means to them. It's absolutely mind-boggling that you have such a serious beef about this in a town like Vegas. There is not a city on earth that is driven more by marketing and promotion and less by authenticity.

Fuck yeah.

Awesome.

I don't recall Empire having the same variety or capability in their lighting rig. However, I haven't been to Empire since their opening on Halloween weekend, so perhaps they've upgraded a bit.

I think we've established a few hundred times over that OPM and Tabu-Sunday are not competing for the same crowds, are not playing the same music, do not hire the same types of DJs, and choose to promote their events in entirely different matters. Seriously, who gives a shit? OK Mr Freeze, we get it. You've got the most authentic hip-hop/funk/soul/whatever night anywhere west of the Hudson River. Congratulations. Now please do your fellow board members a favor: be proud of your own achievements and promote your event without shitting on everyone and everything else.

Empire has been doing it right and is a great option as well. Great crowd, great DJs, great scene. And a lot easier to get into than Drai's. There's talk that once ICE shuts down (or shortly beforehand), Empire will be adding Friday late night and that'll be the new Thank Glaude its Friday. Rainbow is definitely THE place to head to if you've been at BE all night. And yeah, the food is great.

Go to Mix early and there's no cover. I think that's what The Late Show is hinting at.

My take on house/electronic at the two clubs. Although relegating it to a secondary room, there's no question that Jet still wants people to get a serious groove on to whomever is on the decks. Although there is no fixed DJ booth, the sound system in the room is fixed, tight, booming and loud, and the lighting and decor are geared towards dancing. The room is a moderately sized square: the bar along one wall, tables along the other three walls. The DJ is set up along the wall opposite the bar, amidst the tables -- so if you're the type that loves to give your love to the DJ, this is a great location. Although it's not a huge room -- about the size of the Fur room at ICE -- they make great use of space and the dance floor is a good size as a result. Finally, the entrances to the room are in the corners, to either side of the bar. So whether you're at your table or in the middle of the dance floor, you don't have to worry about people brushing by you. Comparatively, on my previous visits I don't get the feeling that Tao really wants people dancing too much in their house room. It's more of a lounge, really. There's no real dance floor there, the music is relegated to the background, and the vibe always seems to be more of socializing and chilling out rather than rocking your body. The light level in here is also fairly high, with no dance lighting (moving/colored spots). There's also a bit of a bottleneck between the DJ setup (also not a fixed booth), the first few tables and the bar when you first get down the stairs. Always feels to me in there like people are a bit on top of one another. Unless you *really* dislike hip-hop/mash, the main rooms at both clubs are still a treat, if only for the visual treats. Tao will give you bit more in terms of go-go girls, Jet will give you more in terms of lighting and effects. Wild cards here are that Tao has a truly unique (for Vegas) decor and a separated VIP area, while Jet has a third room, dedicated to rock... and getting folks dancing hard to it. Ultimately I think it depends on what you want for that first part of the evening. If you want to do some real dancing to house/electronic, no question: Jet. If you're looking to just warm up the evening with an overall vibe, some unique eye candy (e.g. the gal in the rose-petal bath, in the iron-clawed tub in the midst of the dance floor), then you won't go wrong with Tao. Personally, I get enough of the uber-ultra-euro-whatever lounge approach in the earlier part of the evening (not to mention here at home). When I'm out at the clubs, especially in Vegas, I want to get down. I've enjoyed Tao, but I've always been a bit disappointed when there's no other dancing option there. Thing I love about Jet is that if a track drops that doesn't float your boat, you can instantly move to one of two other rooms and get rocking again. The whole place is centered around the idea of dancing, and I just dig that. BTW: Doubtful I'll be out for SB weekend; already set for Feb 17, Mar 3 and Mar 17. Gotta pace myself.

Anytime after 4 that place is rocking. Never been in earlier than that so I can't say otherwise. Earliest I've seen it start to lighten up is 8am, which is also about the earliest I've ever left the place. As for difficulty of getting in, what's your definition of "hard?" Show one of the doormen a little respect and $40 later you'll be inside within minutes.

For a one-night deal, yes. Funny that he's teaming up with AM that night, especially after the endless shit you've given AM for doing nothing but stealing Z-Trip's mixes and using pre-made playlists.

What's your definition of "ultralounge?" And what kind of music are you looking for? If dancing is such a "must," are you sure you wouldn't rather be going to a straight up nightclub? Off the top of my head, Mix, Teatro and Tabu are the only places that really tag themselves with the "lounge" title yet have actual dance floors.

Yup. Spearmint Rhino.

All I can say here is that I met a shitload of serious Miami clubbers over NYE weekend in Vegas. We talked a lot of about clubs in both towns, as well as other cities all over the world. Bottom line is not one of us could give a rat's ass what city is "better." Most of them just made their travel plans when Tiesto announced his NYE show, then had more friends jump on board once PVD, Lawler and/or Darey were announced for the weekend. Sure, there'd be great events in Miami, but they wanted a change. I was surprised when I bumped into a few of them at Body English on Sunday, especially because I had thought they were pure househeads. They said they were for the most part, but they decided at the last second to check out BE. Their thoughts? "We fucking love this place, there's nothing like this in Miami." That's not to say that BE is better than than any club in Miami, just that it's unique. And more importantly, that it's all about a good time. People can have a preference, and I totally back UKjay stating his, especially because he qualified his opinion with specific likes and dislikes. Although waking up beneath the Rockies beats the piss out of those little Cali mountains.

Holy shit, they signed Z-Trip to a contract?

Of those who play weekly, Glaude is my favorite... but I wouldn't consider him a "Vegas DJ." Of those who play at least 3 nights a week, my favorite is definitely Faarsheed. Like vegasguy25, I can't really say much about skills but I just can't enough of his selections. I also like the way he builds into a set and responds to the crowd.

I hit up Jet last Monday. Insaaaanely good time, packed to the gills right at 11pm and stayed that way well past 4am. Yet another first-class Vegas club, it's design and layout clearly shows that the management has paid close attention what works and what doesn't, and it still pulls off an original look and vibe. On Monday night, each of the three rooms were entirely different in music. Hip-hop/mash from DJ Eddie in the main room, electronic from Josh Wink in the second, and rock (unknown DJ) in the third, every room had people dancing hard non-stop from open to close. The sound system throughout is fantastic. Before Josh Wink came on in the electronic room, they did an absolutely killer jungle session with a live congo drummer backed by a DJ. Outstanding. The main room features the best lighting rig in town. Seriously. In addition to the independent spots with full effects (at least 16, could be as many as 24), they feature a massive grid of LCD panels suspended above and parralel to the floor. It's hard to believe how bright and vibrant these panels are -- they can (and sometimes do) shut off all the other lights as a result. Gorgeous woodwork arches from wall to celing on three of the four sides, with countless wall sconces and recesses holding candles. Combined with a bumping dance floor (about the size/shape of Pure's main floor) and great DJ work, it's a killer spot to please the senses even when you're standing still, taking a break from dancing, having a drink or just soaking it all in. Speaking of which, one of the things I really enjoyed about Jet was the abundance of places to set your drink down -- bars, rails, tables, shelves. Options for tables are strong but I don't think will be as huge of a selling point. There's no dedicated VIP room or separated area, so those who prefer a bit of seclusion are likely to be attracted elsewhere. However, for those who want dancefloor tables, it's hard to beat. With the exception of a small platform behind the DJ/light booth in the main room, every table in every room is separated from the dance floor only by a velvet rope. The only way you'd have a "bad" table here is if you get a table in a room featuring music that you don't like. This leads me to one of the things that I think will really help Jet succeed: flexibility. They can quickly and easily adapt based on demand and desire for tables on any given evening; in a flash they could add or remove tables without issue. Moreover, on a slower night they could quite easily close down one of the three rooms, and only the regulars would notice (but not care). What I think sets Jet apart is the best musical diversity under one roof. If you're going with a small group but everyone likes different music -- hip/hop, electronic and rock -- then there's no question in my mind that this is currently the best spot to hit. Regular clubbers with a strong preference for a specific music type and/or scene would most likely be happier elsewhere, but I honestly can't imagine any clubber that wouldn't enjoy their time at Jet. The next time someone throws me the "I'm into clubbing but I'm with a friend or two that are club virgins" question, without hesitation I'll point them to Jet. Whether you want to get your groove or your drink on, or simply hover and watch the pretty people, it's a killer spot. In other words, I think Jet is the one club that can make ANYONE happy.

Hey, if people were turned away then it's their own damn fault. I came by for Monday night, got there early enough (shortly after 11) and had no problem getting in, partied hard all night. Keep up the great work, it's a great spot.

Nothing doing now, everything's booked up (or being held). Just had a friend try to find a room for the 31st, bupkus.

Just make sure you're not paying anything more than a good tip if you get line passes from a taxi driver. And I personally wouldn't trust free entry tickets from a cabbie. Many cabbies in town will try to sell you passes at what seems like an attractive price -- say $20 for 4 line passes -- and in reality, the passes give you no benefit whatsoever. You'll see people handing out the same exact passes for free on the strip or sometimes even inside the casino a mere 200 feet away from the club entrance. Most of the time the line for your line pass is the same as the general line for the club; other times it may be a different line, but it's no shorter. In all honesty, if you want to go to avoid the line at the bigger (read: more popular) clubs in town, your best options are (in no particular order): - Get on the early-entrance guestlist that the club itself offers (e.g. OPM) - Get on the early-entrance guestlist that a website offers (e.g. clubplanet) - Arrive at the club no later than 10:00 (earlier on really big nights) - Work with an independent VIP host (e.g. Mecca, Mr VIP, LA Late) - Ask a casino host or concierge (if the club is in the casino you gamble/stay at)

I'll just chime in here that I've been a customer of Mr VIP in the past (June 2005) and received excellent service.

Nothing like the voice of reason. This suggestion is doubly good since you'll be a couple, as compared to a group of guys. Not to mention, if you're not a regular clubber then going into a place before 11 likely won't make that much of a difference to your enjoyment... and hell, even if you were a regular, it's not the worst thing in the world, watching people file in and see if/how the vibe changes as it gets closer to midnight and beyond.

7. ICE is just too damn big of a space to try to have any sort of regular success on a Wednesday. That's tough for any club of its size, let alone one off the strip. In my opinion one of the design flaws of ICE is that there was no way to downsize the club for smaller nights. I've been there on a few nights when they're at two-thirds capacity, which means good door and bar revenue, but the space is so huge it feels dead with a crowd that size... and while closing down the lounge and fur rooms will pack everyone into the arena, you still get the feeling that it's a weak night at a struggling club. I still dig ICE and will be sorry to see it go, but I think it's safe to say that a large, off-strip club just isn't going to be viable in Vegas.

You could try landing yourself a fat NBA contract or maybe a 3-picture deal.

But seriously now, I'm pumped to check out Jet on the 2nd. Will it compete with ICE? On nights where they both line up big-name EDM DJs, they'll certainly trying to attract some of the same crowd. But I don't think either joint will see the other as a major competitor, as they're really a different vibe. Not having been to Jet yet, I bet any set from a DJ there will yield a different type of atmosphere and experience than the exact same set from the same DJ at ICE. One won't necessarily be any better than the other, it'll just be different. The main room at ICE is something that's quite unique to Vegas at the moment, and if there's anyone that's going to compete with that size and layout I'd say it'd be Empire before it woudl be Jet.

My source told me that fucker has no skills, he's just a CD-playing poser using Final Scratch. That widdle baby sent some cowboys to my house and now they're in the hospital.