Planet of the Drums at House of Blues OBA Lounge Local drum ’n’ bass enthusiasts are generally underserved, but on Thursday, they’ll be spoiled rotten. All three Planet of the Drums DJs—that’s d-n-b titans Dara, Dieselboy and AK1200, joined by their MC, Messinian—will not only bring their tour to Las Vegas for the first time in years, they’ll perform in an extremely intimate space: House of Blues’ teeny OBA Lounge. Arrive early. January 16, doors at 9:30 p.m., $10 for 21+, $15 for 18-20.
Soulkitchen at Vanguard Lounge You’ve got three great reasons to revisit Las Vegas’ enduring monthly ode to soulful house. One, this edition celebrates the birthdays of both Soulkitchen founder/resident DJ Edgar Reyes and Vanguard Lounge owner Jennifer Metzger. Two, you can give a big welcome to Chicago house DJs Brenda and Brian Gardner, who have moved to Sin City. And three, another Chicago ex-pat, Jesse Saunders, will display a visual history of house music, as his genre-launching single, “On and On,” turns 30 this year. January 16, doors at 10 p.m., free.
Grand Opening at Rose. Rabbit. Lie. The soft-opening nights have passed, and it’s time for Rose. Rabbit. Lie.’s official unveiling to the world. As luck would have it, tickets to Saturday’s first two performances (or cantos) of all-encompassing show Vegas Nocturne are unavailable. However, buy a ticket to the clubbier midnight canto, and we bet you’ll be rubbing elbows with some notable grand-opening guests. January 17-18, midnight, $30.
Nathan Barato at Artisan The Toronto favorite covers the range of four-on-the-floor underground groove, from U.K.-influenced garage to tech house to minimal techno. Which makes him an unlikely DJ visitor to Las Vegas, but an ideal candidate for Artisan’s pre-sunrise throwdown—just as fellow Torontonian Carlo Lio was last November. January 18, doors at 10 p.m., $10 men; free for women and locals.
Tommy Trash at XS After a year spent spinning at Hakkasan and Wet Republic, the Australian electro-house beatmeister moves back down the street for 2014, returning to XS for his second Wynn Nightlife stint, starting Saturday. January 18, doors at 10 p.m., $30 men, $20 women.
HustlaBall at Share The annual multi-city party celebrates escorts, adult film actors and all aspects of the sex industry—and after three years away, it returns to Vegas this Sunday night. With gay porn stars and other “hustla” types attending the “sex cabaret,” it’ll be interesting to see just how far the evening’s erotic performances go. January 19, doors at 10 p.m., $50, $35 locals, $119 VIP.
Exposure at Light The Mandalay Bay nightspot is going gay this Sunday—here’s hoping it makes a bigger impression than Marquee’s short-lived Freedom promo. Considering the evening’s entertainment—exclusive Cirque performances, video projections on dancers’ bodies, an art exhibition—we think it will. Renowned DJs like Dave Audé and Joe Gauthreaux provide the soundtrack for Exposure’s inaugural installment. January 19, doors at 10 p.m., $30.
DJ Snake at Surrender There’s some new blood on the Wynn Nightlife roster: Parisian producer/DJ Snake, whose hip-hop/electronic overlap sounds not unlike that of fellow Wynn residents and co-collaborators Diplo and Dillon Francis. Same circus, new ringmaster. January 22, doors at 10:30 p.m., $42 men, $32 women.
