As we're all aware, the Consumer Electronics Show was in town last week. And if CES is about one thing, it's about porn. Sure, CES is supposed to showcase high-tech gadgetry, but it's no secret that the porno movie biz uses CES week for its major (ahem) push of the marketing year, the kicker being the annual Adult Video News Awards—the porn Oscars.
And, if there's one thing that goes with award shows, it's parties. There were a number of official after-parties for the AVNs. Risqué at Paris held one Saturday, featuring DJ AM, while Club Rio had Dennis Rodman and Vivid Video girl Tawny Roberts. My personal choice was the event at Treasures.
I was excited on so many levels. First off, local DJs, like DJ Noey, were scheduled. Second, this would give me a chance to do a story on one of the newer strip clubs. Finally, a porn industry party at a strip club? Never has the term "no brainer" held such awesome significance.
A few hours before the event, I got the call that the party had been moved over to C2K at the Venetian. C2K? Didn't they tear that place down?
Actually, C2K is still there. No longer a club, the once-mighty venue has been reduced to the home of Lord of the Dance or some other tourist trap monstrosity. The venue also played host to this year's AVNs.
Everyone remembers the grand spectacle that was C2K, but the club eventually went down the tubes. By the end of its second or third reopening, going there had become a near-embarrassing outing. There's nothing more depressing than going to a venue designed to hold over 2,000 people and finding less than 100. Such ended up being the case with this party.
What made the whole blasted thing even worse was that Vivid had its private party next door at the V-Bar.
I also noticed that everywhere I went, the guy-to-girl ratio was completely out of whack. I saw endless packs of dudes hovering like pigeons at a picnic, salivating over that possible chance encounter with a porn star. The Venetian was the epicenter, with hundreds of guys outside the V-Bar, seething like throngs of teenage girls waiting for the Beatles. Bloody hilarious.
So while the porn parties were a bust, at least I got a few good laughs.
The Plush life
OK gang, it looks like we've got a brand-new hot spot on the scene. The Plush Lounge has its grand opening Friday night at the JW Marriot (Plush was actually open for New Year's Eve). I'm curious to see if a club can work all the way out there. Stay tuned; I'll have the full report next week, same Digital time, same Digital channel.
Antonio Llapur walks softly and carries a big club. E-mail him at [email protected].