Saturday, March 19 2:29 a.m. We've waited. We've waited for the perfect table on the dance floor; we've waited for the crowds to arrive; and we've waited weeks for DJ Darude to show up for this, his sixth appearance in Vegas. Right now, there is but one minute before he finally takes to the Club Rubber stage.
There is a change in the music, a shift in the lighting, and the crowd's attention swivels around. They gather in front of the stage as if at a concert, raising their hands as if in church. I can feel the bass rise from my feet and travel through my body. Darude begins his set and the evening, now morning, takes off like a rocket.
In our party are many and various friends, including Jason, a genius documentary filmmaker, official wingman and witness to many a long night. He is circling, trying to capture each laugh, the dances of abandon, the intimate talk, gossip and canoodling.
The crowd is thick with bachelorettes and birthdays, boys' nights out and screw-the-boys' nights out. Tonight's lineup includes resident DJ Gumbee, Dallas Superstars' Heikke Liimatainen, and in the Ki'era Lounge, Miss Joy and Javier Alba.
We look over the newly remodeled and reopened Rubber, The Club at Seven, with a tour by Seven's owner and birthday boy, Zohar Robin. Besides the image overhaul, which involved linking up with Club Rubber co-founder and fellow birthday boy John Huntington, the physical makeover consists of subtler accents, new furnishings and improved traffic flow. The look is coordinated, with a palette of red, blue and brown. The Ki'era Lounge, formerly Seven's main bar and seating area, has been enclosed and dimly lit in blue. The old hip-hop room, now connected to the lounge, has become something of an opium den (sans the illegal stuff), with 10 VIP beds for bottle service. I envision many a long night of cuddling, bed-hopping and suggestive behavior involving strawberries, leading up to a good old-fashioned Roman orgy. Hey, you know, my birthday is coming up in April ...
At 3:45 a.m., Darude has the headphones clamped to his ears. The stage is a who's-who of local DJs, house heads and Biggest Fans. Darude is tall and slender in a red T declaring "I'm Big in Europe." At first calm and focused on escorting the adoring crowd to a higher plane of consciousness, he is now beaming at the enraptured people, dancing and bouncing. "Take that!" he seems to say with each song he drops, punctuated with a fist thrust into the smoky air.
The night is passing by like one long pan of Jason's camera. It's been said that Darude's progressive trance produces the same euphoria as a massive B-12 shot in the bum. Or maybe it's the liter of Grey Goose. I can't be sure, so I make another drink, sit down to ponder, forget what I was doing, and get up to do a little dance.
Come 4:30 a.m., the sun threatens to appear, Darude has proven that Finland rocks, strawberries have been sexually assaulted, and good friends have been spanked on the dance floor as only other good friends can properly administer. Really, a typical night out.
Xania Woodman thinks globally and parties locally. And frequently. E-mail her at
[email protected].
AM After Hours at Forty Deuce
Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 2–8 a.m. After brief flirtations with OPM and Alexis Park, AM After Hours has laid it down at Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce at the Mandalay Bay. For your intense enjoyment, Gino Lopinto and Tony Verdugo welcome you for the steamy burlesque shows that go down at 2:30 and 4 a.m. The party continues until dawn.
March 24
Wine Amplified "Live"
Rock 'n' Roll Sommelier Chris Hammond is taking his show on the road—the Strip, that is. Rock 'n' Roll Wine is mixing it up a bit and taking its high-energy and unorthodox approach to wine to Bellagio's Fontana Room balcony overlooking the world-famous Bellagio fountains. What better way to kick off the approaching warm nights than great wine, genuine people and the acoustic rock 'n' roll of Jeremy Cornwell, all with an exhilarating view of the fountains. Jeremy's unique style of looping background percussion and rap beats while jammin' out your favorite hits on the six-string will keep you entertained all evening long. That and some tasty vino. Doors open at 6 p.m. Cost is $30 per person if you pre-pay and $35 per person at the door. For more information, to RSVP or to pre-pay, visit www.rocknrollwine.com or email [email protected].
March 26
The Porn Star Ball
Ice
March 27
Locals/Industry Night
Light
March 30
Boutique, featuring French Connection UK
Tabú
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