Las Vegas Info
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 Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 4:29 am Post subject: NIGHTLIFE IN LAS VEGAS / LAS VEGAS NIGHTLIFE GUIDE |
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NIGHTLIFE IN LAS VEGAS
You will not lack for things to do at night in Vegas. This is a town that truly comes alive only after dark. Just look at the difference between the Strip during the day, when it's kind of dingy and nothing special, and at night, when the lights hit and the place glows in all its glory. Night is when it's happening in this 24-hour town. In fact, most bars and clubs don't even get going until close to midnight. That's because it's only around then that all the restaurant workers and people connected with the shows get off the clock and can go out and play themselves. It's extraordinary. Just sit down in a bar at 11pm; it's empty. You might well conclude it's dead. Return in 2 hours and you'll find it completely full and jumping.
But you also won't lack for things to do before 11pm. There are shows all over town, ranging from traditional magic shows to cutting-edge acts such as Mystère. The showgirls remain, topless and otherwise; Las Vegas revues are what happened to vaudeville, by the way, as chorus girls do their thing in between jugglers, comics, magicians, singers, and specialty acts of dubious category. Even the topless shows are tame; all that changes is that the already scantily clad showgirls are even more so.
Every hotel has at least one lounge, usually offering live music. But the days of fabulous Vegas lounge entertainment, when the lounge acts were sometimes of better quality than the headliners (and headliners like Sinatra would join the lounge acts on stage between their own sets), are gone. Most of what remains is homogeneous and bland, and serves best as a brief respite or background noise. On the other hand, finding the most awful lounge act in town can be a rewarding pursuit of its own.
Vegas still does attract some dazzling headliner entertainment in its showrooms and arenas. Madonna's 2001 show commanded the top prices on her tour; Bruce Springsteen played his first Vegas show ever in early 2000; Bette Midler did an HBO special from the MGM Grand in early 1997 (and her Millennium show at Mandalay Bay); U2 started their PopMart tour at UNLV's stadium; the Rolling Stones played both the MGM Grand and the Hard Rock Hotel's The Joint; Pavarotti inaugurated Mandalay Bay's Arena, with Bob Dylan doing the same for the House of Blues; and Cher opened up The Venetian with a rare live performance. The Red Hot Chili Peppers gave a free concert to celebrate the city's centennial. It is still a badge of honour for comedians to play Vegas, and there is almost always someone of marquee value playing one showroom or the other.
Admission to shows runs the gamut, from about $20 for Mac King (comedy magic show at Harrah's) to $200 and more for top headliners or Céline Dion. Prices occasionally include two drinks or, in rare instances, dinner.
To find out who'll be performing during your stay and for up-to-date listings of shows (prices change, shows close), you can call the various hotels, using their toll-free numbers. Or call the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (tel. 877/VISIT-LV) and ask them to send you a free copy of Showguide or What's On in Las Vegas (one or both of which will probably be in your hotel room). You can also check out what's playing at www.visitlasvegas.com. It's best to plan well ahead if you have your heart set on seeing one of the most popular shows or catching a major headliner.
The hotel entertainment options described include information on ticket prices, what's included in that price (drinks, dinner, taxes, and/or gratuities), showroom policies (whether it's preassigned or maitre d' seating, and smoking policies), and how to make reservations. Whenever possible, reserve in advance, especially on weekends and holidays. If the showroom has maitre d' seating (as opposed to preassigned seats), you may want to tip him to upgrade your seat. A tip of $15 to $20 per couple will usually do the trick at a major show, less at a small showroom. An alternative to tipping the maitre d' is to wait until the captain shows you to your seat. Perhaps it will be adequate, in which case you've saved some money. If not, you can offer the captain a tip for a better seat. If you do plan to tip, have the money ready; maitre d's and captains tend to get annoyed if you fumble around for it. They have other people to seat. You can also tip with casino chips (from the hotel casino where the show is taking place only) in lieu of cash. Whatever you tip, the proper etiquette is to do it rather subtly -- a kind of palm-to-palm action. There's really no reason for this, since everyone knows what's going on, but being blatant is in poor taste. Arrive early at maitre d' shows to get the best choice of seats.
If you buy tickets for an assigned-seat show in person, you can look over a seating chart. Avoid sitting right up by the stage, if possible, especially for big-production shows. Dance numbers are better viewed from the middle of the theatre. With headliners, you might like to sit up close.
Note: All of these caveats and instructions aside, most casino-hotel showrooms offer good visibility from just about every seat in the house.
If you prefer alternative or real rock music, your choices used to be limited, but that's all changing. More rock bands are coming to town, attracted to the House of Blues or the Hard Rock Hotel's The Joint, so that means you can actually see folks like Marilyn Manson and Beck in Vegas. But otherwise, the alternative club scene in town is no great shakes. If you want to know what's playing during your stay, consult the local free alternative papers: the Las Vegas Weekly, formerly Scope magazine (biweekly, with great club and bar descriptions in their listings), and City Life (weekly, with no descriptions but comprehensive listings of what's playing where all over town). Both can be picked up at restaurants, bars, record and music stores, and hip retail stores. Or you can call Las Vegas Weekly directly; act nice and they just might give you a tip on the spot. If you're looking for good alt-culture tips, try asking the cool staff at the Buffalo Exchange vintage-clothing store (tel. 702/791-3960); they have their fingers right on the pulse of the underground.
Be aware that there is a curfew law in Vegas: Anyone under 18 is forbidden from being on the Strip without a parent after 9pm on weekends and holidays. In the rest of the county, minors cannot be out without parents after 10pm on school nights, and midnight on weekends.
Bars
Consider hanging out, as the locals quickly began doing, at Aureole, Red Square, and the House of Blues, all in Mandalay Bay. There's a separate bar at Aureole facing the wine tower, where your wish for wine sends comely lasses flying up four stories, courtesy of Peter Pan-style harnesses, to fetch your desired bottle. At Red Square, keep your drink nicely chilled all night long on the ice bar, created by water that's freshly poured and frozen daily. Or hang out and feel the blues at the small bottle-cap-bedecked bar in the corner of the House of Blues restaurant, which gets quite lively with off-duty locals after midnight.
You might also check out the incredible nighttime view at the bar atop the Stratosphere Casino Hotel & Tower -- nothing beats it.
There's also the Viva Las Vegas Lounge at the Hard Rock Hotel, which every rock-connected person in Vegas will eventually pass through.
And the Petrossian Bar in Bellagio offers class along with its cocktails (to say nothing of caviar and other delicacies) -- but come for the cocktails, as those in the know claim it's not only the best bar in Vegas for such matters, but maybe the best bar in the West.
The Ice House, a $5-million, two-story, 12,800-square-foot restaurant, bar, and gaming facility, is the latest sign of Downtown's upswing. Opened in summer 2003, the Art Deco-inspired building evokes images of South Beach rather than a Downtown dive, with an interior accented by retrospective photos of Old Vegas and '60s-style furniture. Both of the Ice House's two lounges sport frozen bar tops made of solid ice to keep drinks cold. Down a drink, grab a bite, and then play video poker or watch some sports.
Dance Clubs
Country-music fans might want to wander on over to Dylan's, 4660 Boulder Hwy. (tel. 702/451-4006). They offer country music (live and otherwise) and line dancing, with free dance lessons. Dylan's is casual and basic, with a definite roadhouse vibe.
Note: As far as a dress code is concerned, you are going to go further with more obviously expensive clothes, but you may not have the budget or fashion sense for that (and who travels with really good clothes, anyway?). When in doubt, all black should do it, and showing skin helps. Otherwise, just dress as nicely as you can. But do avoid sports team-affiliated jerseys and baseball hats, baggy pants, and other things that might fall under the heading "gangsta-wear" because that's one sure way of not getting past the velvet rope.
Strip Clubs
People come to town for the gambling and the wedding chapels, but the lure of Vegas doesn't stop there. Though prostitution is not legal within the city, the sex industry is an active and obvious force in town. Every other cab carries a placard for a strip club, and a walk down the Strip at night will have dozens of men thrusting fliers at you for clubs, escort services, phone-sex lines, and more. And some of you are going to want to check it out.
And why not? An essential part of the Vegas allure is decadence, and naked flesh would certainly qualify, as does the thrill of trying something new and daring. Of course, by and large, the nicer bars aren't particularly daring, and if you go to more than one in an evening, the thrill wears off, and the breasts don't look quite so bare.
In the finest of Vegas traditions, the "something for everyone" mentality extends to strip clubs. You don't have to look too hard. The most crowded and zoolike times are after midnight, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. Should you want a "meaningful" experience, you might wish to avoid the rush and choose an off-hour for a visit.
Gay & Lesbian Clubs
Hip and happening Vegas locals know that some of the best scenes and dance action can be found in the city's gay bars. And no, they don't ask for sexuality ID at the door. All are welcome as long as you don't have a problem with the people inside, they aren't going to have a problem with you. For women, this can be a fun way to dance and not get hassled by overeager Lotharios. (Lesbians, by the way, are just as welcome at any of the gay bars.)
If you want to know what's going on in gay Las Vegas during your visit, pick up a copy of the Las Vegas Bugle, a free gay-oriented newspaper. Or call them at tel. 702/369-6260. |
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