Friday, February 17, 12:25 a.m. "What the f--k?!" I wake from my two-hour power nap feeling a little bit less than powerful, with that utter sense of confusion when you find yourself blinking at a clock for five whole minutes, unsure of whether it be a.m. or p.m. Did I sleep through the night? What day is it? Is the sun up or down? And then reason and comprehension slowly seep back into my foggy head.
"Ah yes, Late Night Empire!"
I jump in the shower and hum to myself just like I do at noon every day when I'm getting up to go to the office or again at 9 p.m. when I'm getting ready to go out. With the lights on, music blaring and the scent of Irish Spring in the air, I somehow trick my body into going along with my plan. At 2:30 a.m., I'm just rolling into Ice to catch DJ Keoki in the middle of his raucous set. Whereas this might normally be the beginning of the end of my night, this Friday, it's simply the start.
At 4 a.m., the upstairs balcony at Empire Ballroom looks like a casting call for Hip, Young Trendster. The nightlife community has pushed itself to the limit—not difficult when you consider the average schedule of a VIP host—and made a point of coming out to show its respects on this, the 10-year anniversary weekend of Utopia, the club that many say started it all in Las Vegas.
Every Friday and Saturday, Late Night Empire picks up where the mainstream clubs leave off, sometime between 3 and 4 a.m. Tonight, the plan is to go on till noon. The average Friday brings in about 1,500, with Saturday attracting anywhere from 2,000 to 2,500, the same amount Empire's General Manager Matt Minichino is expecting tonight. "The focus right now is on Fridays," says promoter Chad Saunders. Resident DJ Faarsheed spins everything—au current to retro—Saturdays, while big-name DJ acts rotate in on Fridays, from the Space Mykonos tour to DJ Erick Morillo. In celebration of Utopia's birthday, and in the club rebuilt on its hallowed grounds, tonight's ear candy is none other than Paul Oakenfold.
Michael Fuller, opening for Oakenfold, lays down a heavy remix of Coldplay's "X&Y." He brings it down to almost imperceptible levels for just a few torturous seconds before hitting us hard with some bass that makes my drink ripple like I'm hanging out in Jurassic Park. A dropped ice bucket rocks me from my reverie; the bar is still doing a brisk business. Downstairs, what used to be called the Back Room is now the Gallery, as artwork will soon adorn the walls. The whole month of March, the Gallery will function as a Ladies Only Lounge; men will have to either be escorted in by a woman or buy a table. DJ Eve Savall—professional hot female DJ—will preside. Ladies will enjoy no wait, no cover and a hosted bar.
At 5 a.m., there's a perceptible shift as the light goes blue and bodies surge stageward. The VIP booths downstairs, each a microcosm of nightclub culture, have spilled over their velvet boundaries onto the dance floor. The sea of nodding heads is repeatedly plunged into darkness and then sprayed with light. A Late Night Empire crest shines high on the wall while cell phones glow and flash, replacing lighters as a compliment to the maestro. There's a warm, chandelicious glow over the stairwells and bars, ensuring all look fresh and dewy even at this late hour.
"As a disco baby, I love him" my neighbor tells me, "To me, it's still disco; very instrumental." Oakenfold transitions to a down-tempo, guitar-heavy song and arms begin to wave back and forth like kelp in gently rolling seas.
But the real treat is a small spot atop the back stairwell where fans can essentially look over Paul's shoulder and watch him spin. Periodically he steps back, arms crossed, critiquing his own work. Bodies in ecstasy arch upwards toward him as he leads the crowd in clapping to the beat. At 6:01 a.m., the sun is creeping up on my right as I head home. This used to be my daily routine, though now admittedly, it's more of a treat. I have to laugh: when did my 4 a.m. bedtime become so tame?
Xania Woodman thinks globally and parties locally. And frequently. E-mail her at
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