orfeo633

It depends on whether or not the bouncers are in a good mood. Frankly, I don't go because of the staff and the vibe.

There are so many memories.... I remember one of the security guys going to the patio and shining a flashlight in peoples eyes saying "he's rolling, she's rolling, they're rolling" and then shining it in his eyes and going "we're rolling" Projectile vomit on the dancefloor! Passing out in the parking lot. Going to Fatburger after Utopia. I wanted Fat Boy Slim's autograph and he signed a Utopia flyer and gave me his little flashlight that he used to go through his record box. Standing behind the DJ booth and watching the DJs up close and actually meeting them....In Europe they were so expensive to see at that time, but at Utopia it cost almost nothing and you were right up there with them!!! My faves there were Bad Boy Bill and That Kid Chris....they gave the best shows! The sex....in the bathrooms, certain corners in the club....and the one night stands and sex friends I made. The clothes, the shinier the better.... The woman trapped in a man's body who chased me across the club but is now my best friend! The feeling that no matter how shitty my week was, no matter how many xenophobic mofos I'd run into and how out of place I felt, I was welcome at Utopia and felt at home. Meeting the girl of my dreams from across the dancefloor, our eyes met and we found our way to each other, this went on for about 4 weeks before we actually talked! The first time I saw her Oleysick dropped Funk Phenomenon and she stared at me from across the room....it was magic. Our first dance was together was to a remix of Roberst Miles' One and One, and then when we finally talked, I first held her in my arms to a dope remix of Children. We watched th sun rise from the patio and then went to Fatburger. She's Egyptian, I'm Israeli....we created Middle Eastern peace thanks to Utopia ;-)!!!

Well, the Utopia crowd may be older, but hell... They still good great! Seriously, the Utopia party had the hottest AND classiest crowd in town ;-)

So did anyone go??? What did you think???? We ended up going.... THE GOOD There were some old faces there...and it brought back memories...There wasn't a huge crowd, I was actually expecting more to show up.......But I can't remember the last time that there was such a nice vibe in an LV club!!!! So the crowd was definitely the highlight of the night!!! The patio was the only section of the club I really liked. Doc Martin was the musical highlight..... The sound system in the club is pretty good too... THE BAD The club is shit! They got rid of the sunken dancefloor and the decor doesn't really go with the scene....the colour scheme(burgundies, golds, dark browns) reminds me of a steak house, and the huge faux chandelier doesn't really fit the space.....The dancefloor is too small and the extensive VIP sections...mmmmm everywhere just make the whole club seem very uninviting and closed. It definitely lacks the openness of Utopia. The stage area is small, it just seems cramped. The upstairs space isn't utilized very well. It seems too cluttered. And the light system and special effects are pretty lacking.... THE UGLY The music was shit!!!! I was dissappointed! Oleysick's set was too cliche, it didn't captue Utopia's vibe and it didn't really bring back any memories.....none of the songs I remember from Utopia's height were played.... He basically spun 10 year old commercial dance music. Mike Fuller's set gave me a headache......The live performances weren't up to par I think.... If they threw another Utopia themed party, I wouldn't go.....Empire Ballroom is just another tacky tourist trap...The place simply isn't the same....and pretty much everyone I talked with thought the same thing.....But it was actually pretty therepeutic, its like when someone dies, and you wish you could have told them so many things, but never got the chance to....well this was like having that chance.....it was like a proper parting. But I think Utopia deserved a lot more for what would have been its 10th birthday....

The original was more underground....there wasn't anything near such blatant commercialism as this. Aaron was a man who loved the scene, and who had a vision....it was a labour of love for him and thats what helped make the club what it was.....once there were new owners, and certain people who are planning this "reunion" had more of an ifluence on policy, Utopia became just another business venture and that attitude is what lead to its eventual downfall.... The crowd is what made Utopia, and when they saw what was happening the scene shifted elsewhere.....first to C2K, then to Baby's, then to some of the gay clubs....a few underground spots, and eventually as business took over, the crowd was seen as more of a liability than as creating the scene......and the sterile, pop culture zombie, clubs scene now present took over like a hegemonic beast. Throwing events isn't as difficult as it may seem, and the costs can really be kept down.....it depends on how much greed is involved/the profit margin desired..... Planning this event during President's Day weekend, is a marketing gimmick aimed at getting the Californians who come in for the weekend to attend........ For it to be a real Utopia reunion it would have to have some kind of homage to the people who made it what it was.....Aaron, the DJs, the club kids.....not just some kind of marketing gimmick by those who made it in the business after Utopia "by any means necessary"......I don't talk shit about people so I won't say any more.... Using Utopia ties to make $$$$ while the people who really made it what it was are swept under the rug is what pisses me off the most.... Its those very promoters who drove it to its death..... Soooooo I may show up and have a last red bull and vodka for the unsung heroes.....the transsexuals who propably won't feel welcome at "Empire Ballroom".....those in prison, the dealers, the overdose victims.....those who stayed loyal to the underground, those who moved on in life becoming better people because of Utopia.....of course I won't be doing it on the balcony or even upstairs, and I'll be standing.....and won't be able to afford more than one of those drinks....and if the toilets are free, I'll take a piss as a gift for the cunts who are trying to capitalize on what they ruined in the first place!

I'm not exactly sure how to react to this. For those of you who weren't there, or who just visited LV once in a while or went to Utopia once or twice, you really can't understand what it means to someone who spent every single Saturday there.....it was much more than just a club, it was a way of life. Utopia is the place I met the love of my life....I met friends there who I've only grown closer to throughout the years....when it was around its what I centered my life around basically, choosing an outfit for Saturday night....anticipating the guest DJs....knowing I was going to be in a place that makes the world stop for just a few hours, where time stood still and you were immersed in a crowd of people who you felt a special connection with just coz you were there for the same reason....there was a unity, a sense of community, that you don't get in clubs nowadays.... Utopia is among the greats.....it stands alongside Studio 54, Twilo, The Tunnel and Limelight as one of the greatest clubs ever in the US... After Aaron's passing, it was never quite the same though and eventually it fell the same way many others did.....when corporate zombies tried to turn it into nothing more than another cash cow. I'm very hesitant to go tomorrow....one part of me just wants to go back and hear those DJs in the same venue....relive what was... But then another part of me is afraid that it will blemish the memories I have.... Empire Ballroom ISN"T Utopia!!! It looks different....the balcony is a VIP area.....the upstairs is a VIP area......so that right there affects the entire vibe.... Many of the people who were involved with Utopia and are organizing this event are now basically sellouts working for corporate owned clubs, so their main interest is $$$$$$.....which is what makes me hesitant to think it will even resemble Utopia... I think the whole thing with making it a 3 day party is tacky, its cheapening the memory of Utopia, and it makes it seem like just a marketing gimmick to get people into Empire Ballroom....they can't stand on their own so they wanna capitalize on Utopia's reputation to make a name for themselves and the people involved wanna do the same for the places they now work at, which is why its 3 days in 3 different venues.... Such an approach is in itself against the very things which Utopia stood for, the fact that it wasn't a cash cow or tourist trap is what made it appeal to those who really loved the scene and the music.... Its being marketed to the mainstream crowd, the tourists, and the people who actually think table service is cool....How welcoming of a place do you really think it will be??? Will the club kids and transexuals and gays be welcome??? The one bad thing Utopia did was spoil me for any other club in town, none can compete....its not about what bitch can be the most stuck up or who is dumb enough to pay $500 for a place to sit and a $30 bottle.....its about the music, the vibe, and the community.... And one more thing, they have electronic music and guest DJs during their after parties on Saturday nights, the admission is $20, so in theory it should be the same as the "Utopia" even they're having tomorrow for $40.....so remember you're payng that extre $20 for the hype and the fact that its a "special event" and they'll have performance artists....mmmm to try and create a vibe. During Utopia's height, the crowd was the performance art ;-) Sooooooooooooo I probably won't be there, I'll keep my memories pure....