greenie

I'll let the resident DJ experts go into more detail if so desired, but basically it's a combo hardware/software product bridges turntables and a laptop computer. It gives DJs the ability to use turntable-based methods and movements they're comfortable with (tempo, pitch, scratch etc) to control however many tracks they want, all stored on their laptop. In short, it allows DJs to travel to gigs with as much music as they want simply by carrying their laptop and the Final Scratch controller -- as opposed to a crate or two of vinyl. Again, I leave it to the experts, but it's very similar to other products such as Serato Scratch. Given the ease of transit with the product, I think you can see why it's so popular. And for whatever it's worth, of the clubs and lounges I've been to this year I've see a lot more DJs in Vegas using Serato.

MasterWeb -- This time around, I'll definitely try to track you down at OPM this Sat before you hit the decks. Hopefully that punk lalate will get off his low-flow California toilet and join me. Mad thanks for keeping your list strong.

I think he's referring to whatever graphic thing happened that caused your regular clubber to be offended/shocked/whatever and bolt.

Well, what club will you be hittin? Wouldn't want to recommend a basic pre-party spot that's nowhere near your destination...

Masterweb explained it much better than my poor attempt! I was speaking more to the "corporate" casino approach, where if you ask them what you can get, they'll tell you in terms of dollar values that you'd otherwise be paying. For example, after playing for a bit you may ask a host what you're eligible for and they'll tell you $30 towards a resort restaurant. Typically though at the bigger (corporate) casinos, if you're not averaging a $25 bet, aren't keeping a decent bank in view and aren't playing for very long, you're not going to get very far. The key is exactly as MW said, the the key is to always ask, no matter what size roller you think you may be.

Gambling comps are not nearly as good as they were in the past, especially when the hotels were more expensive on weeknights than on weekends. Ever since non-gambling entertainment/nightlife became such a significnat part of the economy, the comps have really dropped. My father, a pro tournament blackjack player, explained it to me like this: for every hour of monitored play (an average bet of $25 for table games), the house credits you with anywhere from 2 to 5 percent of the total chips you've had in play (cashed in on the table). So if you manage to sit at a table for 2 hours and have an average of $500 in chips on the table, at best you'll be getting $50 towards your players' club account. Now figure that the bigger joints want $200 and up for a room per weekend night, you're only a quarter of the way there. Where the smaller-money gambler can use this to their advantage is to parlay that $50-100 on their players' club into getting tables with no waiting/reservations at the better resort restaurants. This is why the casinos are just like the nightclubs in that your best friend will be the VIP Host. They're the ones that have the power to ignore whatever points/credit you have in your players' club and simply comp you because they feel like it.

Last couple of times I've been by it seems to start doing well around 1.

Great report, right on. Although I'll admit I had a good chuckle at your staying at the Flamingo for price while at the same time dropping well over $4K at Pure over the weekend. Glad to hear Mazzola has some good gigs, too. If you have some contact info for him, please PM me. Last time I saw him rock the floor was in January at ICE and I've been trying to track him down for a while. Any idea what the new VooDoo is asking for cover? Interesting to hear about the crowd at Rehab. And a shame. June 19th had a few people baring excessive flab but the overall crowd was still good -- and by that I mean plenty of softbodied party people that knew how to shake it on the beach while knowing the meaning of the word "modesty." Any idea who spun the day you were there? Sounds like the music has dropped off... going by what you liked during other parts of the weekend (Mazzola, Garcia, Aurelius) you would have been happy with the mix we were treated to on the 19th.

For non-locals (as well as "near-locals" that come to town 2x-3x per month), I agree with Lalate on hitting multiple venues in a night. Provided you spend the time on a little advance research and planning along with a small investment, I couldn't agree more. Wherever you hail from, so long as you're really into nightlife then I definitely back up the idea that it's worth hitting multiple spots. That said, I agree with Masterweb that "3 to 5 venues" is a bit much... provided we're talking about major venues. And for that matter, what you do to get in to that venue, and what you do while you're in there. For those who want to really dive into Vegas nightlife and get a good taste, I'll go with the recommendation of hitting 2 "major" venues in a single night along with 2-3 "minor" venues. Provided you're set up in advance, there won't be any hassles, other than say a 30-minute taxi line at Ceasar's. It's also worth mentioning that infrequent visitors to LV will consider dinner to be a big stop on the night... so I'd certainly consider that a "venue." For example, I don't think either of these example sequences of 5 "venues" (2 "majors" and 3 "minors") to take someone on a 6-7 hour journey (say 8pm to 3am) without putting a massive strain on the constitution or time spent at each stop: Example 1: Aureole (dinner), MIX, Coyote Ugly, Teatro, ICE Example 2: Drai's (dinner), Shadow, OPM, Mist, Tangerine I'm not necessarily recommending these combinations, just slapping together quick examples... In both examples, with a small amount of planning you'd only need to deal with a line and cover at one venue: the 2nd major of the night. And in these cases, hell, if you're on vacation, isn't it worth the investment in VIP and/or bottle services? All this said, I'm not bashing on those who spend an entire night at one venue, especially as that's how my Sundays @ BE tend to be spent. Then again, afterwards I'm in the Circle Bar and then the Rainbow... so I guess maybe that's 3...

Listening to AM's live from Concorde mix (download from his site), pretty hard to swallow that he does relies on stealing from others... but hey, what do I know, I'm just one person putting a few thousand bucks into Body English for the best Sunday nights of my life...

Crazy, indeed. I don't suppose Tang went crazy in response and stayed open to match the crowd? This is the only thing that I don't get about so many LV clubs, closing at 4-5 even when the place is still paaaaaacked.

What's next in this bitch-fest? Someone shouts "you got served?"

ICE is always free for local gals... and most of the folks I spoke with on the last few trips have said that even local guys can get in for free before midnight pretty much anytime except for the very big headliners on 3-day weekends (e.g. the Dish/Tiesto bill). Some nights ICE has been very slow, sure. Such is the case with such a large club that heavily depends on headliners. As for it being "in trouble," well, I think that's mostly attributed to questions about how much management and staff will continue to care about working there with W on the way.

Last time I went was in January. Music was weak, place was only about half full. Lots of egotistical posers in the crowd, the vibe was off (music can have a lot to do with this)... despite this they were still asking $20 at the door and making you wait at the rope for a LONG time despite the place being so empty. I've had good times in the past there as well. Mostly recommending you skip it due to your EDM preference. House and progressive are what I typically prefer (although I also love true hip-hop and mash, at least at OPM and BE) and walking past the door on the last 2 trips (Saturday nights on Mem Day and June 18th weekends) I wasn't exactly intrigued by the music inside.

Definitely skip Tabu. If you want to throw it down on the floor for some EDM, hit up ICE or as a backup the house area of Pure. If you want to start slow and prefer a lounge pre-Drai's (or pre-Seven, I guess) consider Mix or Teatro for a tracks that lately have been predominantly house. May be other lounges suitable for EDM but Mix and Teatro have treated me quite well on recent trips. Sunday, drop the EDM preference and hit up BE. Seriously. If you can get down at Rehab, then you can definitely get down at BE with the best crowd of the week. Hell yeah.

Considering you can get into ICE for free by signing up for any number of guestslists (e.g. napkinnights or hell, THIS SITE) doesn't sound like much of deal to me.

Well yeah, that makes sense then. So really it was "2 of us had to guide six honeys over to MGM so we paid a bill for a limo."

BE, no doubt.

Indeed. Typically I book on the web once I see a rate I like, then follow up on the phone 2-3 times leading up to my stay to keep confirming that I'm locked in at the lowest rate. Doesn't hurt to keep checking back. If you're heading in for the weekend, always make sure to check late Wednesday night and late Thursday night as that's when the resorts often hit the (small) panic button and put a bunch of rooms up for dirt cheap. Final thing I'll add is that if you're looking to stay for a certain stretch -- say 3 days -- and a property is only offering a great rate for 2 of them, go ahead and book the two. Call back after a day or two and tell them you're thinking about extending... on very rare occasions they'll give you the same rate, but more often than not they'll at least offer you something you couldn't otherwise get. Got a Saturday night at the HR this way a little while back; had Sunday/Monday nights booked for the 150s, but Saturday was listed at 399. After calling and asking politely, they gave me Saturday for about 250.

See, now there ya go. No surprise that Drai's fit your "activity" just fine.

Not digging on you here because your other posts certainly suggest you know how to rock it... and maybe I'm just a bit ghetto in this regard... but Luxor to MGM for 100 beans? Why not spend that money to buy a round of doubles in plastic hoof it, baby? Especially with all but Teatro being on the strip end of the property.

Maybe next time you should try Gilley's! Simply put, it pays to do your research on a club before going... especially if you're signing up for a free guest list (which are generally VERY clear about the time the lists close). You make frequent references to coming across as a group of "ravers" yet you choose to go to the one hip-hop club on the strip that carries the best cred for urban tracks? I must have gone to OPM at least 8-9 times since last fall and I've never seen any of the extracurricular activities you describe, and that's including trips where we've gotten tables (where shit usually slides a bit more). For that matter, I've also never seen it at the likes of BE, ICE, Pure, Tangerine, or pretty much any other club that closes around 4-5am. I'll also say this about club security in Vegas: they're not going to be bothered following anyone around for more than a minute. Give these guys a bit of credit, especially at a place like OPM; within 30 seconds of watching you, they're going to either decide to leave you alone, provide you with a warning, or simply ask you to leave. Suggesting that they were following you, that's sheer paranoia.

Shit Larry, nice to hear from ya. Used to LOVE your sets at Baby's.

Talked with some folks at Mix last weekend who (after complaining about Rumjungle) asked me what I had heard about Forty Deuce... I've never gone myself and realized that I've never really spoken with anyone that has... ...anyone have any thoughts on the place? I like the way Tangerine breaks the night up with their burlesque bits, but can't say I'm dying to check out a club that is nothing but.

I've also gotta say I tend to have a lot more fun in Vegas on nights where the crowds have higher numbers of locals. Although most of the gals we met and hung with last weekend were tourists, the phone numbers that are burning holes in my pocket are those from locals I hope to see again...