Green with pride
Okay, so we don’t have a Manhattan-size ticker-tape parade with floats and thousands of bagpipers with which to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (although our Irish eyes are smiling at the thought of the Strip being shut down for such an affair). What we do have is a populace that takes its drinking and partying very seriously, and isn’t going to let some holiday tell it when to get started. That’s why in Las Vegas, St. Patrick’s Day begins on Saturday, a full two days early.
he Irish-turned-Vegas celebration kicks off at 3 p.m. at Porchdogs inside Hooters Casino with the Teeny Weenie Green Bikini contest. McFadden’s Irish Pub jumps into the festivities from 4-7 p.m. with green Bud Lights and a performance by Irish-American punk band Flogging Molly, followed by Jeremy Cornwell from 7-10 p.m. Polly Esther’s goes so far as to rename the holiday Saint Polly’s Day, in honor of the nightclub’s one-year anniversary, with free cover for lasses in green. And DJs Majesty and Dave Dogg will be presiding over a St. Paddy’s Day edition of Volume at Risque with $500 in cash giveaways.
By Sunday, anyone still left with some green in their wardrobe won’t have to spend so much green at the door of Beauty Bar, since the color knocks two bucks off the $7 admission to see the Babes in Sin Burlesque and Psycho de Villes live. And finally, any green-clad lassies who can make their way over to Body English—excuse us, that’s Body Irish—will enjoy free champagne all Sunday night.
All things considered, Las Vegans should be pretty liquored up by the time St. Patrick’s Day arrives for the rest of the world. We make the Irish proud.
Wine away the hours
It’s kind of funny when you think about it—wine. And walking. They go together like goldfish and potting soil, but as New Vista Community’s popular monthly Wine Walk Saturday series enters its fourth season, we have to believe they know what they’re talking about. The 2008 summer season of Wine Walks—this year to be held at the District at Green Valley Ranch—kicks off at the Venetian on Saturday, March 15, from 3-7 p.m. “The Big One,” as it is called, will feature wines from over 75 different wineries, live music and silent auctions benefiting New Vista Community, which supports the independence of the disabled community. General admission tickets are $50 each, and $125 gets you the “Around the World” VIP pass, which additionally grants access to the VIP Room offering even more wines from all over the world plus hot appetizers and table games (for prizes). Be forewarned: tickets increase by $25 at the door. You can get your passes at any Lee’s Discount Liquors or online at NewVistaCommunity.org.
Service Industry Night’s new fave sin
As sins go, lust is probably the clear winner, but we’re willing to bet that gluttony isn’t too far behind. Vox Wine Lounge is betting on that, too, with the launch of Gluttony Monday industry night, “redefining hospitality happy hour.” The event encourages locals, industry members and music aficionados alike to book tables in the Vox dining room where they will be rewarded for their efforts—lets face it, Vox isn’t exactly located center-Strip—with 50 percent off the custom menu prices from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. (alcohol not included). DJs, socialites and food & beverage industry personalities of note will be tapped to either spin, or in the case of the non-DJ host, select the soundtrack for the night. Local favorite DJ Michael Fuller, aka The Funkler, had the honor of launching the night on Monday, March 10, with director $hecky Green slated for March 17. “Gluttony is special, and we plan to grow it [organically] into something surreal and wonderful,” says rep Jimmy Foster. Reservations were completely booked for Week 1, making tables at subsequent weeks a hot commodity. Call 407-7780 for your date to sin with the SINers.
The wide World of Drum & Bass
Billed as “The biggest DNB event in Vegas history,” the Formation Group’s World of Drum & Bass tour will be making a stop at the Empire Ballroom on March 20. Beginning at 10 p.m., Detn8or and Konkrete Jungle will present a U.K.-dominated list of headliners including Ed Rush (one of the leaders in new-school drum and bass), Optical, breakbeat pioneer DJ SS, Brian Gee and speaker-destroyer Simon “Bassline” Smith. Joining them in the main room will be Norway’s TeeBee, dub/soul duo Greenlaw from Canada (with frontwoman Skyla J), Distorted Minds and Dave Cridge and DJ Tasha—aka Prime Mover (they will also perform during the afterhours party). Tali, the No. 1 female drum-and-bass MC, is scheduled to appear, along with MCs Question Mark and XYZ. Late Night at Empire will keep the party going from 3 a.m. to closing with Local Love: The World of Drum & Bass Afterhours, featuring talent from Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The World of Drum & Bass tour will continue on to Miami for its 11th all-night drum-and-bass event at the Winter Music Conference on March 27, and will be joined by over 100 artists in four arenas. Our ears are bleeding already.