The other big story in the world of Las Vegas nightclubs was the investment
by Dubai in the Light Group. Light Group actually describes the partnership as
being with a company called Zabeel. And I guess that is technically accurate.
Zabeel is owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al-Maktoum, a son of the
country's ruler. Dubai not being a democracy, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed
al-Maktoum is also the man appointed as heir apparent to rule Dubai.
I spoke by phone last week with Andrew Sasson, the founder of the Light
Group, about this investment.
Light Group runs, among other properties, Bank (formerly Light) at Bellagio
and Jet in Mirage. Here is what he had to say about why he is so excited to be
partnered with Dubai.
Richard Abowitz: So, how does a nightclub company hook up with Dubai?
Andrew Sasson: How did Dubai connect to the Light Group? Well, Zabeel is
building a huge hotel over there that has a Vegas concept in mind. Not a theme.
But a concept. They were looking at a huge venue with a lot of food and
nightlife and exciting entertainment inside it. They were traveling the world
looking for a company that could come in and consult with them and maybe operate
some venues. They found us. And then one thing led to another.
Q: As your 50% partner, will things be changing at Bank or Jet or is this
for projects moving forward?
A: I am going to get their input as partners, and we are going to learn
things to improve and develop. That is the philosophy of how we work here.
Hopefully a lot of people from Dubai and that region will start coming to
Vegas to frequent the Light Group venues, because they know they have an
interest in it and a local partner and they are curious to check it out. I think
that will change. Apart from that, I don't think anything else will
change.
Q: So, what is the primary reason behind the partnership?
A: It is twofold: to develop the Light hotel brand in Las Vegas and
Dubai. I will be able to give a lot more detail in about 8-10 weeks. We are also
going to develop a lot of entertainment, food, beverage and some nightlife in
Dubai and that region and keep doing what we are doing in Las Vegas with
MGM.
Q: What is next in Vegas?
A: The first Vegas venue will open in November 2009 as part of City
Center.
Q: So, they will be your partner in the cost of that?
A: Yes, they are our partner in that.
Q: You seem to see this more as Light Group expanding from Las Vegas to
Dubai than as Dubai coming into Vegas?
A: Definitely. I never left Vegas for a reason: Everything is here. This is
the most amazing place. But after going to Dubai five or six times I could see
Dubai has a chance to be that for Europe, the Middle East and maybe Asia. This
will not be in the way we perceive things with our cultural views, but in
keeping with their cultural views.
Q: I guess that means no strippers. Interesting that you included Asia. Do
you see potential in Macau?
This week has proven the first huge shake-up of the nightclub industry in Vegas since its emergence as the signature business in the new Vegas. Most of the press coverage is going to the dramatic IRS raid yesterday at the offices of Pure Management Group and Pure nightclub at Caesars. Reports have 10 to 20 agents confiscating computers. Pure has issued the following statement: "Pure Management Group is fully cooperating with this IRS investigation and looks forward to a quick and satisfactory resolution. Until that time, we will have no further comment on this matter."
The more under-the-radar story involves the Light Group. Reuters is reporting that Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al-Maktoum of Dubai bought 50% of the company yesterday. I have yet to be able to reach anyone at Light for comment.
The Las Vegas nightclub scene has exploded over the last few years with the kind of growth that even celebrity chef restaurants and high-end retail in Vegas have not equaled. Though these nightclubs reside in casinos, the resorts do not own them.
The nightclubs in Vegas are mostly private companies renting space in a casino. The biggest, Pure Management Group, operates about 10 restaurants, lounges and nightclubs in resorts in Vegas. Light Group, one of the first nightclub companies to arrive in Vegas, operates Bank at the Bellagio and Jet at the Mirage, as well as other properties, with more in the pipeline. In fact, I am talking to one of their publicists later today about a sushi restaurant they plan to open this summer at the Bellagio. Similarly, top nightspot Tao is not owned by the Venetian. And Planet Hollywood does not own Prive.
But since 2000 these nightclubs have been opening at a rate of about 3 to 5 a year and have turned into a largely cash business worth by some estimates in the "hundreds of millions in revenue." No surprise the IRS would pay attention. But the IRS may discover that the numbers may not be what they seem.
Of course, money numbers are a funny thing in Las Vegas. Large numbers are generally believed to impress people. They have a promotional value more than a fact value. I tend not to trust them, and I never take them at face value. The opening of a $40-million nightclub means the next club to open will certainly claim to have invested $50 million.
Then there is the matter of paying a celebrity to host. When Pure was said to have paid Britney Spears to host one New Year's Eve, the published reports on her fee ranged from the low six figures to a few million. The truth is that no one knows the real numbers involved in the nightclub industry beyond that its expansion and presence in resorts bespeak huge success. This is the sort of success in Vegas that usually means hundreds of millions. But no one can be sure of the real number. These are private companies.
And there are plenty of fuzzy edges on numbers even on the front end. How much do you have to bribe -- I mean tip -- a doorman at Pure to get inside? Well, the last time I faced that issue the number being bandied about was $100. But then other people claim the number is $800-$1,000. That seems exaggerated to me, and not something I have ever seen. Tourists will exaggerate how much they were fleeced, and nightclubs like to bump numbers up because it makes people more comfortable spending in that range.
Here is an example: LAX sent me a press release last week with the following: "A customer in the club spotted Paris (Hilton) and, knowing her birthday is this coming weekend, proceeded to purchase four white-gold-plated 3-liter bottles of 1995 Dom Perignon at $40,000 per bottle."
I do not believe that customer really spent $160,000, no matter what the press release says. The bottles may cost that much on the bottle menu, but the customer probably got a substantial discount for buying four. And that is the point with nightclub cash numbers: No one knows except the actual club.
When it comes to nightclubs, the numbers that are out there are nothing but a mix of rumor, conscious promotion by the clubs and glib summaries by the press. No one really knows the full picture. Even nightclubs probably don't know everything, as PMG and Light Group aren't likely to share that kind of information with each other.
I have watched Robert Frey and Steve Davidovici build Pure Management Group starting with Coyote Ugly (and then partner Jennifer Worthington) at New York New York in 2001. They and their team have worked with an extraordinary intensity and speed and savvy to overtake Light and establish Pure as the premier nightclub company in Vegas. This IRS investigation looks to be the most serious challenge the nightclub industry in Vegas has faced. But the business is also a fairly new one here, and I am sure there is plenty of room for disagreement over the arcane details of tax law. I plan to be careful about sensationalizing this, in case it is the IRS that turns out to be blundering. The IRS has a contentious history when it comes to tipped workers in Vegas. As we wait for more information, I am also trying to reach frontline workers and others from Pure to find out how this is affecting them. Expect the Buffet to keep track of this story in the days and weeks ahead.
But with major changes in Light Group's ownership and Pure Management Group being raided by the IRS, it is clear that this week marks the moment when Vegas nightclubs are going to start being under a different sort of spotlight.
Yesterday's first big event for me was at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club. The
Venetian's new Palazzo casino surprised everyone by soft opening a couple of hours
before 40/40 was set to grand open there. The new casino was packed with
the curious enjoying a first walk-through and gamble. Brighter than the Venetian
and more decorated, it gave a very positive initial impression. But I had a job to
do and no time to fully explore.
Press were to arrive at 40/40 no later than 8:15 for an event to begin a
9. But the massive list of celebrities on the tip sheet were mostly not
appearing as 10 p.m. rolled around. Press left to themselves on a red carpet
gossip. One story I heard from a couple of people involved K-Fed's appearance at
LAX Saturday night. Apparently, the man best known for being a
lesser-of-two-evils father and the ex-Mr. Britney attempted to resurrect his
rap career by spitting some lines out at LAX at Luxor on Saturday night. The
result, according to the received wisdom of the red carpet, was mockery and
booing from the attendees at one of the hottest nightclub's on the Strip. I am
betting the Hilton sisters get a better reception tonight at LAX.
Speaking of the Hilton sisters: Norm reports that Mischa Barton, the dis-invited host of CatHouse's opening Saturday, tried to have the Hilton sisters
blacklisted from the event. "Mischa's team did not want her associated with the
party girl scene," a source tells Norm. Wow, pot apparently did not want to meet
kettle?
Meanwhile, my favorite overheard comment of the evening concerned the giant
PH atop Planet Hollywood.
"Every time I see that PH I think of Paris Hilton and then remember Planet
Hollywood, because she is so much better branded."
Eventually, the red carpet press began hearing that a late start time for
Beyonce's concert at MGM was going to make the A-list late to 40/40, and I could
not stay past 11. But before I left, I had one of the most surprising red
carpet interviews of my career: the Rev. Al Sharpton.
Talking to a minister on a glitzy red-carpet grand opening in Vegas?
I asked him if it was the gambling or drinking that brought him out to
Vegas. Rev. Al demurred, claiming not to gamble at all and to be there only
to support Jay-Z.
That was nice to know, because I had to leave before Jay-Z arrived to
support Jay-Z. (Photo by Sarah Gerke)
Despite all the drama surrounding Mischa Barton being dropped as hostess at
the last moment, the CatHouse opening at Luxor last night went off without a
hitch. I am amazed at the expensive and extreme efforts going into the
presentation of the latest crop of openings. For example, on Friday night I went
to the opening of Prive at Planet Hollywood. Prive's managing director, Greg
Jarmolowich, explained to me how every night, stylists from a local
salon arrive to do the hair and make-up for more than 20 female servers and
bartenders. "We are really conscious of fashion and image for the club. It
assures that everyone has the look that we want them to have and it is well
balanced."
At CatHouse, which mimics the look of a 19th century bordello, women
in lingerie sit in brightly lit display cases, primping and preening. The light
is so bright in the cases, I am told, the models cannot see the customers
watching them. CatHouse also has low ceilings, vintage pinup photos and chef
Kerry Simon; in short, CatHouse is a perfect fit with the Luxor's rebirth, which includes LAX nightclub and Company restaurant. More on this
later, as tonight I leave the Hard Rock for a two-day stay at the Luxor.
While at Luxor, I hope to check out CatHouse again without all of the VIPs and
reporters and see how the ambience functions with actual customers.
The period between Thanksgiving and Christmas is traditionally the slowest time of the year in Vegas.
Many shows offer locals 2-for-1 ticket specials, and many shows have extended dark periods.
On the other hand, beneath the surface this is a busy time of year, especially for restaurants and nightclubs, precisely because there are fewer customers.
Remodeling of old establishments (like Light at Bellagio into Bank) is common this time of year. Also common are openings that hit between now and the New Year to allow the bugs to be worked out before the tourists return in droves.
Tonight I am going to cover the red-carpet opening of Company: American Bistro at Luxor, the latest effort from Pure Management Group.
The opening I am most looking forward to, though, is Jay-Z bringing his 40/40 chain to the Venetian expansion on Dec. 30.
Today I received an invite in the mail: my own Jigga slot machine. Of course, it is a rigged machine. What do you expect from the master of the hustle? Every time you pull the handle you get the same numbers: 12/30/07, the date of the 40/40 opening.
At the Hard Rock alone were shows by
Kanye West, 50 Cent and Linkin Park. But the nightclub scene remained just as
hopping.
Earlier in then night, I eavesdropped as an associate of a major resort
arranged a private plane for Paris Hilton. Soon she was at LAX giving
compliments to part-owner Christina Aguilera, who was hosting the evening.
According to the press release, Paris took the microphone at LAX to drop these words of
wisdom to the future mother: "Congratulations to the most beautiful pregnant woman in the
world, you're gorgeous." FYI: The press release also says that Aguilera was drinking water (Voss, of course).
Jay-Z described his arrival to Vegas this way to the press: "I come as a brand myself. Everywhere I go, I like to take everything with me."
Among those with him this day was girlfriend Beyonce Knowles. And though her appearance was mentioned on the press release as a draw, photographers were told to stop shooting her as she sat in the front row to watch her man.
Young, confident and full of charisma, Jay-Z announced that by the end of the year he plans to open his 40/40 Club sports bar in the Venetian's new wing, the Palazzo.
I was told by casino executives earlier that Jay-Z would not need a gaming license to open the bar. But when Jigga said he might have a sports book at the Vegas version of 40/40 Club, that changed the equation. So, I asked Jay-Z if he would go through the grueling and fussy background check required by Nevada law.
"Of course. My life is an open book. Pick up an album."
Yes, that is exactly the approach I was thinking the gaming bureaucrats might take. I can hear the questions now: "Mr. Jay-Z, on your song '99 Problems,' you refer to police using dogs to check your car's 'raw' trunk. Were you worried about police officers finding drugs? It has been reported to us that this is a drug reference. Can you explain?" And that does not even get us to the far rawer early Jay-Z discs.
The plush leather furnishing, red padded walls and sweeping stairwells of
LAX remind me of movie portrayals of the Reform Club, the wealthy 19th century British aristocrat's club where author Jules Verne has Phileas Fogg announce he
could travel around the world in 80 days. Yesterday I got a walk-through tour of
LAX, the soon to open nightclub, at Luxor -- no camera allowed. On Friday, Britney
Spears will host and the place will be a madhouse of the hip and beautiful
people trying to get inside. But yesterday workmen were still finishing final
details, inspections were taking place and boxes of candles, glasses and
assorted bar supplies were spread out. Despite the name being imported from L.A.,
LAX is very much being designed to exist in Vegas. For one thing, LAX takes to
the next level in Vegas the profitable trade of renting club real estate to
customers for a night: There are many gradations of VIP areas, including
tables, booths, boxes, private rooms and even an extraordinary owner's box
with huge plasma screens and a window! OK, maybe a window doesn't blow your
mind. But usually, besides doors, the only outside view Vegas offers guests at
casino level in a resort is in hotel rooms. So, I wasn't surprised to
discover that the club had crafted this VIP for rent area out of a former hotel
suite.
Anyway, LAX is visually as impressive as the hype has suggested. The new
club also has an advantage from being on the south end of the Strip, relatively distant from Pure and Tao. More important, LAX will be a
much more convenient option for guests on this end of the Strip, especially at
sister MGM properties Excalibur and Mandalay Bay that are already linked
to Luxor.
In other club news, I am hearing that the closing of Tangerine at TI may be
delayed. As previously announced on the Buffet, as of now Tangerine is scheduled to close September 1 with Dave Navarro as host and then to reopen
New Year's Eve as a new nightclub. Yesterday, Light at Bellagio announced a
similar plan. But now Tangerine may be hanging around a bit longer. I will
post as soon as I get the official word on Tangerine's future.
I've confirmed that Light at the Bellagio is closing after this weekend's
big Sunday industry night. A press release will be going out later today. Light is the groundbreaking nightclub credited with
bringing bottle service to Vegas when it opened in 2001. A new, as of yet unnamed nightclub, also run
by the Light Group, will be returning to the same space in the Bellagio, opening on
New Year's Eve. No word yet on if the remade club will retain the Light name.
UPDATE: The new club will be called The Bank, according to the now issued
press release.
Britney Spears is the high-profile host for the opening of LAX on August 31 at Luxor. One can only speculate as to how much this work pays her, or even what the duties of a host actually are at such an event. Spears' name appears in advertising for the opening, as if that says it all. And it does say a lot. Perhaps this means one of her now-infamous 15-minute concert-lets that feature background dancers out-dancing her and a microphone that is not needed for the vocals? Or maybe she will just sit about drinking until she is carried out? Both have happened in Vegas this year (one at House of Blues and the other at Pure).
But now it appears Spears, at least, has some actual work that evening as host at LAX. A press release today announces she will pose for photos on a red carpet at 10:30 PM. There is no word about interviews with her. But, always hopeful, I'll be there on the red carpet with my digital recorder, trying to ask the former pop star whatever questions she will answer. Maybe she can explain to me what a host does?
A few people have suggested I read Blender magazine's May 2007 Vegas
package. I finally got a copy last night. Of special note is "Rent a star" by
Michael Joseph Gross, an article about the fight for celebrities between the
various resort nightclubs. I recommend the story highly for the interviews with
some key players on the nightclub scene on a topic that very few people in Vegas
(in a position to know) are willing to talk about: paying celebrities to come
and play.
Digression: Vegas is very good at controlling the view of national media
(and, I am sure, often, my own). The resorts create a massive illusion meant to
blind people briefly to both their problems at home and, perhaps, more to the
point, to things like the laws of chance. Reporters, in general, can become as
taken (in all ways) with Vegas as anyone else. But there is another difference
that the current of money flowing through Vegas makes. Unlike some other
entertainment industry towns (like Hollywood or New York publishing), even the
people at the very, very bottom of the food chain (the lowliest assistants) at a
Vegas resort eat well. No one a reporter is likely to encounter is ever going to risk a job by talking about an employer off message in any
way. This town presents a very united front that way. The traditional rule of
thumb from the resort perspective: if they have a message to get out they can buy
advertising. Reporter access has always been seen in Vegas as
very discretionary. Back in the day, if the reporter was totally unknown by
people in Vegas, the story was often deemed by resort marketing as too risky to
allow any access for interviews and especially to photographers (a shrewd way to
try to sabotage a story from appearing). As Blender points out, George Maloof at
the Palms began to change that starting in 2001. But things haven't changed that
much as the fundamentals in Vegas are the same. So, really, to get the
best information in Vegas, you need real interviews with actual players
in town. But, of the people who matter here, those with a tendency towards too
much candor, well, those people quickly decide not to talk to the press.
Now, back to the article in Blender. One of those people in a position to
know the secrets of Vegas by any stretch is Steve Davidovici, a partner in Pure
Management Group (Pure, Tangerine, etc.). My hats off to Gross for getting an interview with him. That could not have been easy. Stevie D., as he is known, is both a
creative visionary and also very much a detail driven and hand's on
nightclub operator. He also has no interest in talking to the press. Here is my
Stevie D. anecdote. A few years ago, I started out on a behind-the-scenes story
on the opening of a nightclub at a resort. The story didn't wind up going very
far.
Usually, unless a ride malfunctions, what happens at the Stratosphere stays
at the Stratosphere. But the opening of the nightclub Polly Esther is getting a
lot of buzz. I am planning on going tonight with a sense of
nostalgia: Polyester happens to be the nickname I gave my sister, Esther, after
she had a nose-job and altered her hair color when we were teens. Of course, back then I sprayed a few colors into my hair before concerts (once or twice). Ah, the 80's. Nostalgia seems to be the point of the club. A section of Polly Esther is
dedicated to celebrating the pop culture of the past four decades. One room has
a John Travolta look-a-like doing Saturday Night Fever dances, another (what the
invitation claims) is the world's largest Pac-Man. As for the last decade, "Grab
a seat in O.J.'s white Bronco and look up Sharon Stone's skirt in the '90s Nerve
Ana Club." Only in Vegas would the 90's be presented as more tasteless than the
70's. And, of course, there is an ultralounge to celebrate in a pre-post-retro
or whatever way the now of nightclubs. The only icon not in synch with the
occasion is one Deborah Gibson who the invitation promises to present on stage.
D-E-B-O-R-A-H. Right. Do you think this Deborah happens to sing Debbie Gibson
songs?
This is one of the few holiday periods where Las Vegas mellows out. In fact, the arrival of Thanksgiving marks the start of what used to be a slow period that ended only with the arrival of the always overwhelming New Years' events, parties and concerts. This is the time of year that older clubs do expansions and renovations and new clubs open hoping to get the kinks out before the tourists return. Last year, for example, this was the period Jet opened at Mirage. Similarly, in the past few weeks ago, The Palms opened its new Moon nightclub and Prince opened 3121 at Rio.
But the Las Vegas club scene has an insane amount of combativeness and competitiveness right now and I suspect that slacking momentum (celebrity appearances, giveaways, theme parties, advertising campaigns) is not on the radar for places like Tao, Pure and Tryst.
I am going to be watching closely how the promotions, celebrity appearance nights and buzz develop over the next few weeks. Mostly, I am curious if the nightclubs will try to grab the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (Nov. 30-Dec. 9) crowd.
WNFR takes over Las Vegas more than any other single event. Resort showrooms abandon their usual headliners for country acts and Las Vegas goes cowboy in a big way. The reason Las Vegas dedicates itself so completely to cowboy week is a combination of the size of WNFR (closing in 200,000 rodeo fans) and the relative slowness of tourism and convention business during the period. While it's here, WNFR is the only show in town. Of course, this is not the regular Vegas crowd: the bottle service and L.A. celebrities that keep the party going at the nightclubs are not going to pull in the rodeo crowd. Oh, to see cowboy boots thrust upon a tabletop in the VIP lounge! Yet, I have a hard time imagining if and how the nightclubs will customize for the WNFR fans.
The wildly successful Tao nightclub at the Venetian has scored an impressive celebrity for its first anniversary weekend: Janet Jackson. Jackson is using the occasion for an album release party for her comeback disc, "20 Y.O."
Interestingly, Jackson has picked the one night where she risks being overshadowed by another diva who knows a thing or two about comebacks: Mariah Carey. After her career suffered a free fall, Carey, back on top, will be doing a concert at the MGM Grand on Saturday night followed by an after-party at Pure nightclub at Caesars — directly across the street from Jackson's party at Tao.
One reason Jack Colton's advice seems so timely is that Pure and Tao are without question the two hottest clubs in Vegas now. They have been in a brutal fight for number one and I am sure that the competition between them is one reason celebrity appearance fees are so ridiculously high these days. Paris Hilton may have a sister but she does not have a twin.
Who is ahead between Pure and Tao depends on who you talk to after any given debauched weekend. The answer may change but the question is constant.
I was approached by a reporter friend from a national magazine last week who wanted a list from me of the hot nightclubs in Vegas these days. He asked specifically about Ra at the Luxor which he heard was the place to go. And, it sure was — back in 1999. How very long ago that was in Vegas. Sadly, Ra has not been a happening place in years. In fact, Ra is the subject of all sorts of rumors that either the Light Group or, more likely, Pure Management Group, will be getting a shot at making it over.
So, besides Pure and Tao, if you are a trend chaser, here in my opinion are the currently Hot New Clubs: Tryst at Wynn, Jet at Mirage, and the independent Empire Ballroom. Among the older clubs that still seem to be in the game: Rain at Palms, Light at the Bellagio, and Body English at the Hard Rock.
If you have money to burn and want to be treated like Jay-Z (and, maybe even see Jigga) these are the clubs for you. But for the bargain shoppers, the flip side is that the clubs that do not have buzz offer almost identical experiences to a typical tourist with only a fraction of the hassle and a smaller bribe to the doorman to skip the line. If you just want to see instead of being seen or just dance and have fun, places like Ra and Studio 54 in the MGM, for example, are worth going to. They may not be where the cool kids play right now, but unless you are a connoisseur, the music is identical, the clientele are hot bodies, and the liquor likely even comes from the same distributor.
John Kastilometes in his preview of Cherry Nightclub (the latest creation of Rande Gerber) set to open April 18 at the new Red Rock Resort reports finding the bathroom urinals there: "shaped like a pair of women's lips"
Does anyone else find this sort of amazingly offensive?
Tonight Nelly will be judging the model search "Miss Apple Bottoms" at rumjungle in Mandalay Bay. Normally, beyond a smirk, this would not be worth noting. But either this event has slipped through the cracks or host property Mandalay Bay (owned by MGM/Mirage) has decided not to be intimidated by the sheriff's request to keep rap performers out of casino's nightclubs. Of course, only Sheriff Bill Young would think that party-rap like "Hot in Herre" is at all gangsta. But he does; the most serious incident leading up to the sheriff's warning came from shootings that followed a Nelly concert at the Aladdin. Who would think judging "Miss Apple Bottons" would turn into a moment to thumb your nose at the MAN?
There is opening and then there is OPENING. Back in 2005 I covered the opening of Jet, the new nightclub at the Mirage. But that was just a soft opening. The Grand Opening happened on New Year's Eve with Kid Rock spinning as DJ. But now the buzz is on for tomorrow night at Jet with what is called the Celebrity Grand Opening Weekend celebration. Among those expected Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and the Hilton Sisters. I will be there, of course, and let you know all that happens.
In other cities the end of the year is when you slack off at work or reflect on the year just past, but in Las Vegas it's a time of high-profile openings. The next few days will see the debuts of two major nightspots (Tryst and Jet), a high-end restaurant (Stack) and an audacious topless bar/nightclub (Seamless).
The timing is no coincidence, says Robert Fry, managing partner of Pure, a nightclub at Caesars Palace that opened last New Year's and quickly became very hot. "You want to build momentum, so rather than open in November you'd rather save it," he says. "January is a real busy month, with conventions and the Super Bowl. Usually, Vegas is nuts, and the room rates go up and the people who come here just let off steam. It really is a very fun time. There really is not a lot of risk [to opening then] because every place is sold out, so you know your club will be busy right off the bat."
Jaded is a word I hate especially since it is often used to describe me by readers anytime I don't like something. As I have been fortunate enough to see so many wonders in Las Vegas, it does take quite a bit to amaze me especially when it comes to nightclubs. But I swear I am not yet jaded and just want to let you know as honestly as I can what is and is not worth your precious vacation time and dollar in Las Vegas. And, on Saturday I was amazed by Seamless.
The war between taxi drivers and topless bars has escalated. Apparently, according to Jeff German's column, at a meeting on Monday, management of all the major strip clubs agreed to form a united front to end the practice of paying kickbacks to taxi drivers. When I arrived here in 1999 the bounty paid by clubs was around $20 a head for each customer in a taxi. Since then that number has been hitting $70 thanks to the competition between the many high end new clubs that have opened like Treasures, Scores and Sapphire.
I hate to side with rich club owners over the taxi drivers. But the arrogance of the taxi drivers is amazing. Greg Bambic, a Vegas taxi driver, is quoted in German's column saying:
I just don't see how the clubs can be successful without the cabdrivers and the limousine drivers. We bring them 85% of their business. They can't get along without us.
This is outrageous since the taxi drivers are already being paid by their customers and there is no reason the drivers should be collecting extra money from the club. This practice is technically not allowed by County regulations. But the County regulations are simply not enforced and, even if they were, don't apply to limousine drivers, only taxis. Tourists are the ones getting shafted in the end with higher covers and more expensive drinks. I have suggested before that the best way you can fight back is to demand that a driver let you out across the street from your strip club of choice. Or, if you allow the driver to take you to the club, make sure the driver agrees to forgive the meter as your ride is being paid for already by the strip club.
The New York Post is reporting that CBGB's owner is in negotiations with the Desert Passage Mall at the Aladdin to bring the legendary punk club to Las Vegas. I somehow don't see that happening, but if it does it will be a disaster for the New York institution that birthed The Ramones, Television, Blondie and the Talking Heads. The most obvious spot they are negotiating over would be the space now occupied by Krave which I hear from sources has had an increasingly strained relationship with Desert Passage.
Krave is the first club on the Strip to explicitly market itself as gay, and, if it closes or moves, some may see this as a failure on that score. But it won't be. I think Krave is one of the worst locations on the Strip for a club. Amazingly, you can't enter Krave from either the Aladdin or Desert Passage--the entrance is on a side street off the Strip. The space's short history illustrates the problem: It opened as the Blue Note jazz club in 2000, closing in January 2003. For a while, it was a dance club called Ibiza, before Krave assumed the lease in late 2004. People in a position to know tell me that Krave's rent is around $70,000 a month. When I last interviewed Krave's owner, Sia Amiri, back in October he told me that Desert Passage in the past has given Krave an up to 50% discount on rent. But that is still a lot of punk rock tickets to sell, and CBGB's owner would do well to consider the history of this spot very carefully.
This week has proven the first huge shake-up of the nightclub industry in Vegas since its emergence as the signature business in the new Vegas. Most of the press coverage is going to the dramatic IRS raid yesterday at the offices of Pure Management Group and Pure nightclub at Caesars. Reports have 10 to 20 agents confiscating computers. Pure has issued the following statement: "Pure Management Group is fully cooperating with this IRS investigation and looks forward to a quick and satisfactory resolution. Until that time, we will have no further comment on this matter."
Last night: I don't even know where to begin. 
Despite all the drama surrounding Mischa Barton being dropped as hostess at
the last moment, the CatHouse opening at Luxor last night went off without a
hitch. I am amazed at the expensive and extreme efforts going into the
presentation of the latest crop of openings. For example, on Friday night I went
to the opening of Prive at Planet Hollywood. Prive's managing director, Greg
Jarmolowich, explained to me how every night, stylists from a local
salon arrive to do the hair and make-up for more than 20 female servers and
bartenders. "We are really conscious of fashion and image for the club. It
assures that everyone has the look that we want them to have and it is well
balanced."
The period between Thanksgiving and Christmas is traditionally the slowest time of the year in Vegas. 
Last night, Vegas was focused on live music. 
Jay-Z described his arrival to Vegas this way to the press: "I come as a brand myself. Everywhere I go, I like to take everything with me." 
A few people have suggested I read Blender magazine's May 2007 Vegas
package. I finally got a copy last night. Of special note is "Rent a star" by
Michael Joseph Gross, an article about the fight for celebrities between the
various resort nightclubs. I recommend the story highly for the interviews with
some key players on the nightclub scene on a topic that very few people in Vegas
(in a position to know) are willing to talk about: paying celebrities to come
and play.
There is opening and then there is OPENING. Back in 2005 I covered the opening of Jet, the new nightclub at the Mirage. But that was just a soft opening. The Grand Opening happened on New Year's Eve with Kid Rock spinning as DJ. But now the buzz is on for tomorrow night at Jet with what is called the Celebrity Grand Opening Weekend celebration. Among those expected Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and the Hilton Sisters. I will be there, of course, and let you know all that happens. 
The war between taxi drivers and topless bars has escalated. Apparently, according to Jeff German's column, at a meeting on Monday, management of all the major strip clubs agreed to form a united front to end the practice of paying kickbacks to taxi drivers. When I arrived here in 1999 the bounty paid by clubs was around $20 a head for each customer in a taxi. Since then that number has been hitting $70 thanks to the competition between the many high end new clubs that have opened like Treasures, Scores and Sapphire. 
The New York Post is reporting that CBGB's owner is in negotiations with the Desert Passage Mall at the Aladdin to bring the legendary punk club to Las Vegas. I somehow don't see that happening, but if it does it will be a disaster for the New York institution that birthed The Ramones, Television, Blondie and the Talking Heads. The most obvious spot they are negotiating over would be the space now occupied by Krave which I hear from sources has had an increasingly strained relationship with Desert Passage. 
