Those locals who are going away for the holiday are either long gone or are snuggled up on red-eye flights to points east and elsewhere. And many of the intrepid souls who have stayed behind are either cozying up to cocktails or each other on the dance floor.
At 12:45 a.m., I'm jockeying for a position in the line spiraling outside the elevators that will whisk us all up to Mix at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay for Return of the Dragon. The resurrection of the beloved Dragon party—which enjoyed an amazing six-year reign at China Grill downstairs—is said to be for one night only, but the buzz amongst the crowd tonight is that we may see the Dragon return again, and perhaps again and again.
The invite boasted "multiple rooms" of music as spun by some of my favorite DJs, but how, I wonder, are they going to pull that off? The Mix Lounge is one big room. What I am not expecting is for veteran promoter Wayne Jeffries and his extensive team to have cleared out Mix's dining room, creating a second space, where when I arrive, DJ Russ is spinning hip-hop while DJ Dru attends to the tiny predicament of periodic loss of power. For the second time tonight, I arrive just moments ahead of the masses and have to swim upstream to get moving. To the Moon!
Pulling in the Palms at 1:45 a.m. I can already see what I'm in for, as the reptilian hood over Moon at the top of the new Fantasy tower is alive with flashing colors. Inside the club, you would hardly know it was a Wednesday night, when Moon is normally closed. It is perfectly packed—that elusive sweet spot just under slammed but well beyond busy. The one where all things are possible—like dancing, drinking, sitting, and visiting the ladies room. The roof is closed so the smoke and lasers can have their full effect, but every now and again the giant lid slides back to let in some fresh air, a bonus few clubs can boast. "You're a lush!" my friend Justin says, jokingly, handing me a drink he thinks is way too strong but that I think is just my style. "Um, we prefer the term ‘luscious,'" I throw back with a smile.
"This is so old school right here," says Justin, getting into a bass-heavy song from back in "the day." Judge Jules went on a while ago but he'll keep spinning till at least 2:30 a.m. before passing the honors off to Chris Garcia. Michael Fuller has already gone on and has returned to his duties of running the N9NE Group empire. At the bar somewhere around 4 a.m., I watch the crowd begin its inevitable dissolve. Turkeys need stuffing, pies need filling—the holidays have arrived. So has a smooth-talking fellow in a shiny club shirt and indoor shades. He bets me I'm a tourist. I bet him he's both a DJ and a tourist. I win!
Xania Woodman thinks globally and parties locally. And frequently. E-mail her at
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