Screening sound
The evolution is starting to pick up, and the melding of DJ, VJ and computer geek is starting to happen even faster due to an increased popularity—and therefore profitability—of audio/video-inspired club nights.
Jet and Steven Lockwood’s A/V audiovisual extravaganza grabbed some national attention after the night was nominated at the 2007 Club World Awards for the Best Weekly Party, and hit a home run when master of ceremonies Roonie G was nominated for Best Resident VJ. Vegas enjoys visualists when they are in town, and members of the techno version of a boy band, PXL8, bewitch plasma screens when they book a gig all together, but it seems more and more venues want a solid, weekly video presentation, as the technology and those who know how to use it become more prevalent.
Mist Lounge at Treasure Island has joined the band, launching Fusion Fridays, where DJ Phaness spins videos the on the three 50-inch plasma screens as well as on the turntables starting at 11 p.m. On the other end of the Strip, Rumjungle has hopped on the video bandwagon, trying to pump some more energy into the revamped space, launching Visual Eyes (get it?) every Friday with DVJ Kris P. The night is hosted with a live remote by KLUC 98.5’s Mr. B.O.B., and Kris P. brings in his own custom blend of remixed videos. But don’t’ take our word for it. Seeing and hearing is believing.
State of the Union: Lure Ultralounge
Note: We’re about to use the prefix “re-” a lot.
Everything that’s old is new again. And lately it seems that everything that’s new is rebranded and therefore made newer. In fact, you should be careful not to leave anything lying around or you might find it renovated, reopened, relaunched or under new management. Since Lure Ultralounge opened at Wynn Las Vegas in April 2005, it has already undergone a number of procedures—some major face lifts, others minor tucks and pins. In a partnership with Steve Wynn that began this March, Sean Christie—former managing partner at Light Group’s Jet and currently the head of his own Spectrum lifestyle-marketing group—has assumed control of the jewel box space and intends to completely remodel, rename, and reintroduce the club-formerly-known-as-Lure to the hungry Vegas nightlife consumers.
Everything will be affected, from the walls and floors to the furniture; there will even be the addition of more bathrooms. “If I just painted the place, it would be Lure with a different name.” At present, he has more than three pages of possible names for the space, though Christie says he will not be calling it an ultralounge. “I just don’t like what it connotes,” warns Christie, who feels that ultralounges are to be filed in a no-man’s-land between lounge and club, where he does not wish to dwell. Though the design and layout are still being finalized, Christie tells us to prepare for a mellow lounge ... until about 11:30 p.m., when the energy increases, and the space will function more like a full-on nightclub ’til the wee hours. When the lounge/club reopens after an anticipated four to six weeks of down time this summer, Christie hopes to be open seven days a week, spinning everything “from Sinatra to soul. I don’t think it’s gonna be your typical club music. I’d like it to offer more variety.”
Christie doesn’t expect to lose any of the talented and attentive staff during the transformation, as they will be given adequate notice before the shut-down, with their positions waiting for them at the other end of the tunnel. “The intent is to keep everybody,” says Christie, who is committed not only to maintaining Lure’s already excellent level of service but also to increasing the depth of each guest’s individual contact with staff to create a more personal experience. That, of course, includes locals who have always made up a large portion of Lure’s fans. “Taking care of locals has always been something I’ve prided myself on.” And we’re counting on it!
The smackdown
No, not professional wrestling, even better—cocktails. Part of the Bon Appétit Culinary & Wine Focus May 17-20 (one of the foremost foodie get-togethers), mixology continues to blend well with its gastronomic brethren as the Cocktail Smackdown hits Vegas on Friday at 3 p.m. inside Wynn Las Vegas. Learn what makes a prime libation with a hands-on (as well as a taste buds-on) seminar, as some of the best carousal artists in the business turn Lure into a sea of top-shelf tipples. Whether it’s learning how to muddle properly or learning just what the hell muddling is, at $65 a ticket compared to the $1,200 for the whole week of events, this is one aperitif well worth the coin. Call 888-34-FOCUS for more info.