A&E

Encore Beach Club brings elrow to its winter Intermission series

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You know you want to elrow.
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Jason R. Latham

Not that it needed to be reinforced, but we've been reminded again recently that there are no guarantees in Las Vegas nightlife. Audiences are fickle and frugal, though there's an upside, in that clubs can make under-the-radar moves with unproven programming and still draw curious revelers long after the pools have closed.

That's the takeaway from Wynn Nightlife's just-launched Intermission series. Encore Beach Club's offseason edition has enlisted the party planning committee from Spain's elrow to infuse the atmosphere with a carnival-esque blend of pink, green and yellow colors, oversize props, inflatable animals and Comic-Con-level cosplay.

Event founder and CEO Juan Arnau Jr. explains, "elrow is a place where anything can happen and where craziness is the normal." That's a familiar pitch in Las Vegas, but Arnau stresses that you'll never see the same theme twice at an elrow bash, so each one is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity.

For the uninitiated, here are three things to know about elrow.

It's a party born in the streets of Barcelona. "Elrow came from a club we had a few years ago in downtown Barcelona that we called 'Row,'" Arnau says. "In May 2008, we took it over and called it 'Row 14,' after its 14-kilometer distance from the center of the city. Over time, guests started shortening Row 14 to 'elrow.'"

It saved Spain from a stale nightlife scene. "A few years ago, we began to notice and feel that the scene needed a change," Arnau says. "Nightlife was starting to become boring, dark and linear. People asked for something new and were looking to be part of the show. They wanted to forget their problems and find their inner child. Little by little, we started to investigate and tried to make something new. First, we decorated the room. Second, we got some costumes for the crew and added confetti. People loved that. We incorporated inflatables and toys for people to interact, play with and take as a souvenir."

Partying in Vegas fulfills a familial goal. "My grandfather was dreaming about Vegas for many years," Arnau says. "In the early '60s, he heard that Xavier Cugat, a Catalan musician, was making it big in Las Vegas. After years of stubbornness and insistence, he persuaded him to perform in our home venue Florida in Fraga. Cugat arrived with star dancer Abelain, and unfortunately, bad luck struck. One day before his performance, my grandfather died. When we saw the opportunity to enter into the Vegas market, we didn't think twice and took the chance immediately."

Intermission will keep partygoers busy Saturdays from 2-10 p.m. through December 30. The next pair of elrow events are set for November 16, featuring Nic Fanciulli, Denney and Bastian Bux, and December 7, with Paco Osuna, Andrea Olivia, Bastian Bux and De La Swing.

INTERMISSION: ELROW AT ENCORE BEACH CLUB November 16, 2-10 p.m., $25-$45. Encore, 702-770-7300.

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