greenie

Speaking of which, catch a repeat of the VH-1 Hip-Hop Honors specials (that Freeze always refers to) and notice how every camera shot of the DJs show them using Serato or Traktor.

Sure, right. Whatever. You spent a good third of your "article on a trend" calling out Empire and Mix by name, fondly proclaiming them the best in Vegas, yet neither in your article nor in follow-up discussion were you wiling to state the name of any other club. Questionable motives, especially from someone who runs a VIP services business. Comparatively, Leftymo has called out Tryst by name as a club that left a very bad taste. I know I'm not the only one who would be curious to read a few more details.

Both clubs are OTC on Saturday nights. If you've already been to Pure, you haven't been to Tryst and your group is leaning towards going to Tryst, then I'd say go to Tryst. You won't be disappointed. Big advantage of Tryst is that the smaller, more intimate environment will give you a much easier/faster/personal treatment at the door. Pure is definitely a circus out front, even when you have a table. Big advantage of Pure is the multi-room format; if you have people in your group that like house music, they can always pop upstairs for a bit (which is also nice for a gorgeous change of scenery). At Tryst, you'll be stuck with hip-hop/mash all night. My personal opinion in choosing between the two on Saturday is that Tryst will give you the better overall crowd vibe. My experience is that the crowd is a touch more club-knowledgeable/experienced, it's always got an oustanding favorable male-female ratio and size/layout of the place is such that it always feels fairly social to me, especially compared to a mega-club like Pure. The main room at Pure tends to feel like more of a meat market to me -- often heavy on the sausage.

Not aware of any other decent forums, just tons of others that are deathly quiet and/or even more overloaded with promotion. One thing to keep in mind here is that the vast majority of users checking out CP never post... so if you have questions or opinions, please continue to post... I get a lot more people responding to me via PM than via public posting. Maybe CP will come around again. Send a PM to one of the senior mods to let them know your opinion... there is a sub-forum intended for promotion, problem is that its use just isn't enforced.

So who made it out this night -- any comments?

Both are outstanding spots that each offer very different eperiences. To recommend one over the other depends on the night of the week, the kind music/atmosphere/experience you're looking for, whether you're going to do bottle service or not, and how long you plan on being out.

I'm curious to hear a few more details, specifically regarding any racism your party experienced or witnessed. I don't think it's needs to be a novel, but a few examples would be nice. And please don't use LA Late's "article" as a guideline. You've already gone farther than his article did, and that is to call out by name a club that left you with a bad taste in your mouth.

Glad to help! The more knowledgeable the clubber, the better the club...

No such thing as "too dressy" in Vegas. If you want to rock the suit, rock the suit. In my opinion your club schedule is a bit backwards... if you go to Rain last, I think you'll be disappointed after Pure and Playboy/Moon. Rather than Rain on Thursday I'd recommend going to Tao or Tryst. Better yet, do the double and hit up both. Is bottle service for two a waste? You tell me. If you're spending 4+ hours at a club and are planning on sharing your table with ladies you meet there... and you're comfortable with spending that kind of cheddar... go for it. You might want to consider getting in touch with a few VIP hosts. Oftentimes they've got 2-3 other people that are in the same boat as you, which leads to the opportunity of you all splitting a table together. Only other thing I'd suggest with bottles is that if you're going to do them just once, do it on your 2nd or 3rd night and not the first.

Back on topic... and that is sound systems in VEGAS... Then you'll be extremely happy at Empire as they got Funktion One to handle sound for the entire building -- ballroom, lounge and patio. And believe me, the sound in the ballroom there is AMAZING. Details on the Empire system: http://www.funktion-one.com/EmpireBallroom-ClubSys-Mar06.htm

First off, getting in faster is one of those little perks of working with a reliable VIP host that works external to the club. The best ones will arrive at the club before you and make sure the wheels are put in motion; they're recognized immediately by the staff, including the senior host, who understand that they're bringing in clients and thus want to get their party past the rope and through the door as fast as possible. That said, to a large extent this is just part and parcel of having a table. Except for the ultra-ultra-VIPs, pretty much everyone has to do exactly what you describe. Ultimately it comes down to numbers; you simply can't get 10 tables all sat within 5-10 minutes of each other, so somebody's got to wait. For what it's worth, even people that have a weekly table often spend 5-10 minutes out front. Most of what happens here is done because the club and hosts want to make sure that once you are led through the rope, not only are there no delays on the way to your table but that every first impression you have -- being led through the club, laying your eyes on your table -- is spectacular. To make this happen, here's a small list of what happens at the door when a table party arrives. Some clubs will bring your whole party inside the rope, but not much farther, once you get 2-3 steps into the process. 1. Person with clipboard (or another host) marks you down, then radios your specific host. Who may be in the process of seating another party. 2. Your host greets you, confirms that your entire party is right behind you, everyone has IDs, and are ready to be walked in. 3. Your host needs to get your party "checked in" with the senior host. This often involves the senior host to sign off on whatever bottle agreement you made and/or the senior host marking down (or providing a voucher) the number of people in your party. Many clubs need to do this to keep track of the total number of table comps that get through the door each night. 4. Once your host has you entirely checked in, they get on the radio to make sure your table has been set up and is ready to be sat. Every club does different things to prepare the table, but it may involves minor re-arrangements to furnitire, moving the velvet rope, clearing out a few squatters, or simply the host making a final-final check for themselves that the table area is as perfect as can be. 5. Finally, if there are already 2 or more tables that are in the process of being walked in, IDs checked, etc, your host will often wait for them to be finished, especially because they don't want table groups getting mixed up on the way in. The best hosts are those that manage their parts of the process well enough to speed you through. For example, a good host won't ask 5 of his tables to all show up at exactly the same time. It's also worth mentioning that there is often a bit of host seniority involved; if your host is brand new to the club, it will likely take longer for you to be sat. Tipping in advance won't necessarily speed this process up, and I personally don't recommend it. After all, you're already giving the host a good tip (right?) once you're seated and settled in properly at a good table. The best thing for you to do is be a good table customer. Keep in touch with your host after you make the reservation, and if you want to streamline the process of getting in then ask them in advance for the best time to arrive or what you can do to make sure your group is all set (e.g. have everyone get their IDs out ahead of time). Finally, keep in mind that the front of the club is always going to be sheer chaos. Every single one of the hosts and door staff are having a dozen questions asked of them every minute, having their names called out by people they don't know, all while keeping an ear to the radio and trying to take care of everyone in the most professional manner possible. Everything related to receiving good service is a reciprocal relationship between club and clubgoer, whether you're doing up a 10-bottle table or you're just trying to get through the door.

Not sure what your definition of "average income" means, or perhaps more accurately, what you're willing to spend. I know plenty of people that I'd consider to be "high income" that are absolute tight-asses in the clubs, and bitch all weekend long about the price of drinks. Similarly I know plenty of people who make less than the national household average yet never hesitate to pony up $150-200 each if it means a table at a hot club. What's the total cost your group is willing to spend? What would you rather have: a table at a less-popular venue, or basic entry for a hot venue? What kind of music and/or atmosphere are you looking for?

Listed as an early show with doors at 10pm

Three different clubs with three different scenes on NYE. What kind of crowd are you looking for? Wild, young, get-drunk-go-nuts will be Rain; Light will be the most upscale and mature, Tangerine will be a somewhere in between. What kind of music? Rain will be all house music with Bad Boy Bill; Light will be predominantly hip-hop; Tangerine will be predominantly hip-hop with light house on the deck. One wildcard consideration for Rain (or anything at the Palms) is not being near the Strip... keep that in mind if you're at all interested (or not) in partying out on the street before you go in to your club of choice...

For the kind of music and crowd that you get at OPM, nope, there's really no place that competes in that department. Thursday you might want to consider doing the Tao-Tryst double. Both will be playing predominantly hip-hop, and if you haven't been to either club they're definitely worth a visit for atmosphere alone. And since Thursday is locals night at both spots, there's generally a great vibe going on.

Before Ice closed, Empire still had a truly kickass soundsystem in the ballroom, so you won't be disappointed no matter what come February.

Good point!

Wish you had Howells, Lawler or Sander on NYE instead of Sandra but otherwise that is a DAMN sick set of nights...

"Best" club is a purely personal preference, depends on what kind of music, crowd, size, and overall scene you're looking for. As for "easy to get in," that's a somewhat personal judgment as well. But Vegas is pretty simple: the more popular the club, the longer the lines. Recommend you read through the many other threads on this board for some ideas... your exact same questions have been asked and answered dozens and dozens of times before. If you don't want to spend the time/effort to do the research, spend the money and have a host help you pick some venues.

Ferry definitely kicks ass... a great warm-up for NYE weekend...

House room at Jet will be your best bet for anything before 3am. Then head over to Empire or Drai's. Haven't yet heard if Rubber is going to do a NYE event this year. Wherever you go, strongly recommend you at least make sure to do pre-sale reservations. It's expensive enough as it is, but the less you have set up in advance, the more they'll fleece you at the door. Last year I saw people forking over $150-200 each in cover for the Rubber afterhours at House of Blues... and I think it was only $40 pre-sale.

So long as you have nice threads and good attitude, you'll be fine. Like the others have said, only reason you need to work with a host is if you don't want to deal with waiting in line... which I personally think is worthwhile. You're on vacation, why not spend a few extra bucks for better treatment...

Very slow week in town so no major house/electronic DJs in town on Friday. I recommend the house room at Jet for 11-3, then get a feel for where people are heading afterwards. My bet is that Drai's will be a better vibe on Friday, if only because it's a smaller venue than Empire. Don't know where Faarsheed is on Friday night (if anywhere). I know he's in Detroit on Saturday, but if he's spinning in Vegas on Friday I guarantee you'll love his set.

Tons of details added to this final list... amazing, I disappear into the Bryce backcountry for 3 days and re-emerge to a deluge of new details! Once again thanks to folks on the board and out on the town last night... ...Halloween is ON baby! Big thanks to everyone for helping out with listings... man I love Halloween week... I'll be out thursday to tuesday, I just pray I can pace myself properly... WEDNESDAY OCT 25 Studio 54: "Bite" cast Halloween party Rumjungle: Halloween Horror Night. $5,000 in prizes Tabu: Carl Cox and Marco Bailey THURSDAY OCT 26 MGM Grand: Halloween week at Studio 54 & Tabu Rain: Saw III movie/soundtrack premiere party with Static X Beauty Bar: Marie Antoinette movie/soundtrack release party OPM: Funkenstein's Funkadelic Monster's Ball FRIDAY OCT 27 Fort Cheyenne Casino Events Center: Devil's Night 9 Halloween Rave with 11 DJs Light: Vegoose launch party Pure:: KISS fragance party with Gene Simmons & Shannon Tweed; DJ AM OPM: Tricks or Treats Jet: Fungina party with Bobbi Billard Body English: Leg Avenue costume giveaway Studio 54: Nightmare on 54th Street Ice: Ed Hardy Halloween Empire: Devil's Playground & Ed Hardy afterhours w/ Scott Stubbs, Scotty Boy, Ariel Moses, in the ballroom plus Keith Even and Amir on the patio SATURDAY OCT 28 Stardust: Fetish & Fantasy Ball, with Scooter & Lavelle and Mutaytor Tao: Taolloween with Tera Patrick Ice: LAST NIGHT EVER FOR ICE with Infected Mushroom and Mark Stylz (11p-4a) plus Faarsheed (4a-NOON) Body English: Vampires & Mad Scientists $5,000 costume contest Rumjungle: The Black Ball fetish/fantasy/lingerie party. $10,000 in prizes. Tangerine: Dennis Rodman's Halloween Studio 54: Nightmare on 54th Street Pure: Ivanka Trump's birthday Empire: Devil's Playground w/ Jonathan Peters marathon set in the ballroom; Keith Evan & Carlos Sanchez in the patio SUNDAY OCT 29 Body English: Sunday School of the Dead, $5K cash prizes Light: Stuff Magazine Saints & Sinners Halloween Ball, $10K cash & prices Tao: Sander Kleinenberg OPM: Hyphy Horror Playboy & Moon: Halloween party Empire: Devil's Playground w/ Particle, Portia Surreal & Darius Fxxx (doors 1am) MONDAY OCT 30 Foundation Room: Dante's Masquerade Paradiso. Cash prizes. Jet: Stuff Magazine Halloween Party with video DJ Roonie G Body English: Devil's Night, $10K cash/prizes Rumjungle: Bacardi Return of the Bat. $10,000 cash prizes. TUESDAY OCT 31 Jet: Haunted House -- $20,000 in cash prizes, plus NINE house DJs: Bad Boy Bill, Richard Humpty Vission, Donald Glaude, and David Garcia in the main room; Faarsheed, Eddie McDonald, Funky Bad Chad, Joey Mazzola, Chris Garcia in the local house room. The "rock" room becomes the "VIP Hip-Hop Room." Rumjungle: THEHalloween Horror Night. $10,000 in cash and prizes. OPM: Funkmaster Flex Halloween. Cash and prizes Studio 54: 40th annual Beaux Arts Ball featuring cast members from LV shows. Benefit for Golden Rainbow. $2,000 in prizes. Pure: Halloween party Mist: Mistical Masquerade Halloween featuring Sirens of TI Empire Afterhours: Blaq Magic Ball with Sam Mollison, Mike Hirataka, Robert Olesyck and Scott Stubbs. Drai's: Faarsheed and Chris Garcia

Awesome. Always great to see bigger clubs open up their main rooms with opportunities for lesser-known and unkown local DJs. Hope this really takes off.