Wednesday, September 28, 12:25 a.m. I wrap my jacket around my waist in a vain attempt to hide the progress of the wet spot currently spreading across my bum. I bounce up and down to try and remedy this rapidly declining situation. Finally, I am forced to take drastic and embarrassing measures to free the ice that has been so playfully deposited in my waistband.
I watch myself like a train wreck—sad but possessing a certain on-screen quality—my hand down the back of my pants, my leg kicking out like a randy dog. In a booth to my right, VIP staffers from Light and Ice are taking in the show with a mixture of apathy and amusement. No, we are not at a pool party or frat house. These spontaneous, harmless high jinks are the direct result of V Bar's casual atmosphere and playful energy. And martinis. Let us not forget the martinis.
No cover, no line, no list. And may I add, no pretension, snobbery or attitude. This November, V Bar will boldly go where precious few clubs have gone before by celebrating its five-year anniversary. Many a Vegas nightclub's lifespan can be clocked from grand opening to grand closing in mere months or in the time it takes to enjoy just one cocktail. But as with a fine wine, cheese or an unpaid parking ticket, this small bar has gained complexity over time.
V Bar, like Madonna, has had to adapt and redefine itself to stay in the game. Fluctuations in the status of the once-grand, now-extinct mega-club C2K; changes to the lineup of surrounding restaurants; and most importantly, changes within the V Bar staff, have greatly affected everything from the quality of the patrons to traffic patterns through the hotel. When General Manager Bronson Olimpieri left V Bar around the four-year mark to join the N9NE group, shutting down and reconceptualizing might have looked tempting. Instead, Ark Restaurants, promoter Bo Karlen, and new GM Eric Carlson are using Reinvented Wednesdays to reintroduce the party crowd to V Bar. A place to start out or finish up, an appetizer or dessert, the foreplay or maybe the afterglow.
Moreover, the addition of a new and prominent neighbor may help breathe vitality back into the lounge. With Tao creating a terrific buzz upstairs, the wave of additional visitors may find satisfaction in V Bar's tucked-away location across from the new Blue Man Theater. Its proximity to this, Restaurant Row and the convention hall certainly doesn't hurt, either.
Back at our table, I see signs of the apocalypse: the staff of two weekly magazines are rubbing elbows and clinking glasses. Can we help it if we don't hate each other? With the help of a little Johnny Love Vodka, I believe we could all potentially get along. Confirming my theory, a locust steals my drink and one of the four horsemen makes off with my purse.
Tonight, obviously, casual is king. If Lutece, Buchon and AquaKnox count among the Venetian's kitchens, and Tao is the Venetian's bedroom (where the magic happens), then V Bar is the smartly dressed living room. And as with your own living room, you should feel comfortable, wear what you like, drink what you like and feel free to dance like nobody's watching, even though they totally are.
"What is your signature dance move" is the most intellectual topic of the evening. One gent does the white-boy shuffle and snaps out of time with the music. Another does the same but bites his lip to emphasize just how hard he's concentrating on getting his groove on. A lucky colleague's wife performs a mime in which she smacks away at an implied partner's ass just as one of the Wingmen thrills us with a spontaneous Chippendales audition. And me, I just plant my feet and Will Smith it, nodding my head and such.
With the ice ditched and my pants dry, I leapfrog from one ivory leather chaise to the next and find groups representing the Rainbow Bar & Grill, Tabú Ultralounge and Tao. Speaking now just to the tourists—Hey everyone else, look over there! It's Elvis!—if you want to party like a rock star, party like a local. Pretend you're Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, pick out a likely subject—usually wearing jeans, a T-shirt with a vintage cartoon, a suit jacket and a hat of some sort—and follow him. "Crikey, Terri! He's hitting V Bar, Tangerine and Lure, all in one night!"
Xania Woodman thinks globally and parties locally. And frequently. E-mail her at
[email protected].
Xania's Hot Spots for October 6 – October 12
Thursday, October 6
Tabú: Fusion Thursday presents the Supercross U.S. Open party with DJ Create
Friday, October 7
Tao: Fashion show with LV native, model Cassie Weaver and birthday girl, Playboy Playmate Yvette Garcia
Pure: DJ AM's new residency with drummer and MTV reality star Travis Barker
Saturday, October 8
Ice: DJ Mark Farina
Tao: Tommy Lee's birthday party
Seven: Liquid Entertainment presents Wet Dreams with DJ Dyloot
Sunday, October 9
Light: International Lingerie Show kickoff party with Monique Alexander
Beauty Bar: Drop Dead Gorgeous beauty pageant benefiting the New Orleans Hospitality Workers Relief Fund
Monday, October 10
Forty Deuce: Society Monday presents Love Boutique with Forplay Lingerie
Tuesday, October 11
Pure: FHM magazine party
Wednesday, October 12
V Bar: Reinvented Wednesdays with DJ Vegas Vibe
For more Hot Spots and weekly parties visit
www.TheCircuitLV.com and sign up for Xania's free weekly newsletter.