America’s best DJ
Just in case you haven’t already been beaten to death with voting reminders, here’s one more! But we’re not talking about the race to the White House. Starting May 1, online voting will begin in the Third Annual America’s Best DJ contest. DJ Times magazine announced this year’s top 100 nominees at the Winter Music Conference in Miami (as chosen by the magazine’s staff), but the final winner depends on support from electronic-music fans across the country, and that means you.
The America’s Best DJ Summer Tour, presented by Pioneer Pro DJ, is scheduled to stop at 40 cities around the U.S. to showcase the talents of select nominees, and encourage fans to vote in person or online at americasbestdj.net. In the previous two years, tour stops have included Pacha and Sullivan Room in New York, San Francisco’s Ruby Skye, Space in Miami, Los Angeles’ Vanguard and Las Vegas’ own Krave. The winner will be announced, and many no-doubt fabulous gifts and prizes will be awarded at the closing-ceremony party right here in Sin City during Labor Day weekend.
For 2008, the America’s Best DJ contest has announced 21 new nominees (according to the official rules, no DJ is allowed to win in consecutive years). Included in the nominees are some familiar faces to the Las Vegas nightclub scene, such as Roonie G, Scotty Boy, Starkillers (aka Nick Terranova) and Steve Aoki. First-time nominees also include Serge Devant, Baby Anne, Moby, Reid Speed and the devilish duo of Tommy Lee & DJ Aero. The America’s Best DJ Tour aims to support “the growth of U.S. DJ and nightlife culture by encouraging dance-music fans to promote their favorite U.S.-based DJs.” So bust out the puff paint and iron-on transfers and support your local DJs!
Get Carried away
Ladies, ladies, ladies. The time has come to lift up your cosmos and kick up your Choos—the Sex and the City movie arriveth.
Okay, not quite yet, but if it isn’t already circled with a big pink heart in your Day Minder, put this magazine down and get thee to your calendar. May 30, 2008, will go down in history as the day millions of women finally got everything they ever wanted in a relationship (with a movie): candy, high fashion, popcorn, steamy romance and a Diet Coke. The Sex-citement kicks off at 6 p.m. this Friday with Sex & Sin City, a girls’ night out at V Bar featuring free cosmos and Jimmy Choo giveaways.
And on Sunday, May 18, Brass Lounge Downtown will open its doors at 5 p.m. for another shoe-good-to-be-true party, Manolos & Martinis, a well-heeled little affair put together by Social Diva Productions and Step-Sisters.com. Manolo Blahnik will display a portion of their collection as well as—you might wish to sit down for this—showcasing shoes featured in the movie. The Manolo Blahnik store at Wynn Las Vegas (one of only two in North America!) will team up with Fabreana shoe store for a shoe fashion show. Ollie Levy, one of the original HBO TV writers, will be signing her new book, Quickies, and LasVegasMovieInsider.com will give away a pair of tickets to the advance screening of the film! You can also let your inner Charlotte shine by donating a new or “gently used” pair of shoes to Souls4Souls.org.
All the while, guests will enjoy SATC trivia contests, a video confession booth, a short tribute film and, of course, martinis. Mixologist Trevor Gilstrap’s signature Metropolitan martini will likely get a lot mileage that night, as will the confession booth. Which one will see more action? We can’t help but wonder …
Tao on top
Restaurants & Institutions magazine just posted their list of the 100 top-grossing independently owned restaurants in the country and, wouldn’t you know it, Tao Las Vegas took top position for the second year in a row with reported sales in food and beverage totaling $66.6 million in 2007! (Side note: With numbers like that, it’s no wonder the IRS have permanently pitched tents outside our nightclubs’ velvet ropes!)
The May 2007 debut of Tao Beach boosted the bottom line an extra $11.3 million from the year prior. Not that it needed it; Tao Las Vegas blew past the second-place winner, NYC’s famed Tavern on the Green, by almost $30 million! Not to be left out, Tao New York, the brand’s flagship restaurant and lounge, came in at No. 5, their food and beverage sales totaling a reported $26.8 million.
Also making the grade for Las Vegas in the Top 100 Independents category are 24 restaurants including Mix at the top of The Hotel at Mandalay Bay (No. 11), Rumjungle at Mandalay Bay (No. 17) and Fix at Bellagio (No. 54).