Next... on the tour of great places to party in Chicago, New York, Las Vegas, Miami, Los Angeles and more!
I am taking you now to a place in my current hometown...Las Vegas!!!
9 years ago...
Standing in a sea of people on the casino floor in the Barbary Coast on Las Vegas Blvd in what can only be described as the LAST place you would expect the best after-hours in the world to be...it hits me like a ton of bricks that it is 4am on Saturday morning and this place is so busy the staff does not know what to do. Lucky for me, our group knew someone and we got past the velvet ropes and into a holding area near the bright gold elevator, because at this after- hours you go downstairs to get in. So inside the holding coral we are ushered into an elevator by a friend of ours who takes us into a club that can only be described as Hugh Hefner's Basement meets Satan's Den. In my many years of going out and working in the nightlife industry and going to all kinds of bars, lounges, nightclubs, live music venues, and after hours, I had never seen a place like this. I was taken into a room that looks like a library complete with books, boudoir paintings, leapard print booths and chairs, candles, and blood red painted walls, and could not believe this was an after-hours club. It was 4am and the party was just getting started, and not your typical crowd of after-hours people. . These people were professional partiers, dressed up, looking quite fresh for 4am. Not only was the crowd notable, but the place, you can not say enough about it. It is a labyrinth of rooms to walk in and out of, the place was a 5 star supper club by day complete with gourmet food and high back red leather booths, plants and paintings everywhere; then by night (after 2am), it transformed into an adult playground like no other before it. The music is house with a Euro flair, and there are people dancing everywhere, but the music is not so loud that you can not talk to the person that you are next to...I think I have just arrived in heaven! I wonder secretly if this place was made for me because it was perfect! I wander around and take it all in for nearly 5 hours, dancing, socializing, drinking and partying, it was the first night of many for me at this infamous club. I can honestly say in a city that praises, newwer, bigger and better, this place is still my favorite in Vegas!
Present Day....
Since my first visit to Drais After-Hours 9 years ago, I have introduced it to many friends and colleagues over the years. There is something about this unique place that makes people want to come back every time they are in town. I suppose that is why GQ magazine gave it the illustrious title "best after-hours in the world"!
More places to come...
Thursday, September 10, 2009
More places to Party!
I have called many places home in my life, places such as:
Helena, Montana
Missoula, Montana
Chicago, Illinois
New York City, New York
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
Phoenix, Arizona
Las Vegas, Nevada
However, of all the places I have lived the place that feels the most like home to me is Chicago.
There are soooo many places in the windy city that add value to the world of nightlife that I am not sure where to begin...given careful consideration I am going to start with the one and only Crobar!
As a member of the Crobar family I have memories of this club that date back...well let's just say...I am old! The people, the staff, the owners, the DJ's, the culture, the lights, the party...it was a very special time in nightclub history to be part of!
To talk about Crobar is a favorite subject of mine...not only did I work there for 5 years, but it just happens to be one of the greatest nightclubs ever opened! I am not biased at all. To give you the full history of Crobar would take too much time, but there are few things that people that go there for the first time should know about this club that has been in business for 18 years. The originators of Crobar are Kenny and Cal, I omit their last names because that is a long standing joke in the club industry in Chicago, if you knew their last names you could get in VIP. At any rate, this club opened as Crobar (was and still is located at 1543 N. Kingsbury) but the club never had the name on the outside of the building, just some Asian Symbols! Crobar is an old warehouse space with few windows and a huge dancefloor. When you walk in the front doors you are quite literally IN the party, there is no mistaking the energy of this club the minute you walk in the door. Psycho Bitch and Teri Bristol were resident DJ's every Saturday night for years! The high octane house music that comes from the DJ booth at Crobar is the stuff as a customer you will remember for years to come! Crobar got a face lift several years ago to make it slightly more cosmetically appealing to compete with the ultra lounges and "pretty" nightclubs popping up all over the country...but make no mistake...it continues to be one of the best places to party not just in Chicago, but anywhere! This club is a perfect 10!
Stay tuned for more picks...
Helena, Montana
Missoula, Montana
Chicago, Illinois
New York City, New York
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
Phoenix, Arizona
Las Vegas, Nevada
However, of all the places I have lived the place that feels the most like home to me is Chicago.
There are soooo many places in the windy city that add value to the world of nightlife that I am not sure where to begin...given careful consideration I am going to start with the one and only Crobar!
As a member of the Crobar family I have memories of this club that date back...well let's just say...I am old! The people, the staff, the owners, the DJ's, the culture, the lights, the party...it was a very special time in nightclub history to be part of!
To talk about Crobar is a favorite subject of mine...not only did I work there for 5 years, but it just happens to be one of the greatest nightclubs ever opened! I am not biased at all. To give you the full history of Crobar would take too much time, but there are few things that people that go there for the first time should know about this club that has been in business for 18 years. The originators of Crobar are Kenny and Cal, I omit their last names because that is a long standing joke in the club industry in Chicago, if you knew their last names you could get in VIP. At any rate, this club opened as Crobar (was and still is located at 1543 N. Kingsbury) but the club never had the name on the outside of the building, just some Asian Symbols! Crobar is an old warehouse space with few windows and a huge dancefloor. When you walk in the front doors you are quite literally IN the party, there is no mistaking the energy of this club the minute you walk in the door. Psycho Bitch and Teri Bristol were resident DJ's every Saturday night for years! The high octane house music that comes from the DJ booth at Crobar is the stuff as a customer you will remember for years to come! Crobar got a face lift several years ago to make it slightly more cosmetically appealing to compete with the ultra lounges and "pretty" nightclubs popping up all over the country...but make no mistake...it continues to be one of the best places to party not just in Chicago, but anywhere! This club is a perfect 10!
Stay tuned for more picks...
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Where is the best place to go party?
Having called Las Vegas Home for the last 8 years, clearly Vegas would be tops on the list of party towns. But what other places in the world are great to party in?
The list that comes to mind would include the following places for sure...
Ibiza, Spain
Mykonos, Greece
London, England
New York City, New York
Chicago, Illinois
Miami, Florida
Toronto, Canada
Sydney Australia
Los Angeles, California
However, these can not be the only good places to go out and have a good time. Lets create a global list of all kinds of venues and see what happens!
Starting with a favorite place of mine...
Taking you to New Orleans in the heart of the French Quarter , at the corner of Bourbon Street and Bienville sits a local bar called The Old Absinthe House. This bar is the stuff legends are made from. Having the distinction of being one of the oldest buildings in New Orleans (built in 1806) this bar still bears the name of Piratte Jean Lafitte on the sign outside. The rumor is that Lafitte and Andrew Jackson planned the victory of the battle of New Orleans on the second floor of the building and that Jean Lafitte still haunts the halls of this historical place. However, lets forget about the history lesson and tell you why this is a place you must visit if you are ever in New Orleans. They have live piano music at night and the person behind the ivories will usually take any and all requests, the places is quaint, the staff is friendly, the drinks are stiff and they have a wide variety of single malt scotches and house specialty drinks made with an absinthe substitute made in New Orleans called Herbsaint. Not a nightclub, but one of the best places to have a drink, enjoy music, and meet all kinds of friendly New Orleans people. More than 5 stars!
Stay tuned for more places...
The list that comes to mind would include the following places for sure...
Ibiza, Spain
Mykonos, Greece
London, England
New York City, New York
Chicago, Illinois
Miami, Florida
Toronto, Canada
Sydney Australia
Los Angeles, California
However, these can not be the only good places to go out and have a good time. Lets create a global list of all kinds of venues and see what happens!
Starting with a favorite place of mine...
Taking you to New Orleans in the heart of the French Quarter , at the corner of Bourbon Street and Bienville sits a local bar called The Old Absinthe House. This bar is the stuff legends are made from. Having the distinction of being one of the oldest buildings in New Orleans (built in 1806) this bar still bears the name of Piratte Jean Lafitte on the sign outside. The rumor is that Lafitte and Andrew Jackson planned the victory of the battle of New Orleans on the second floor of the building and that Jean Lafitte still haunts the halls of this historical place. However, lets forget about the history lesson and tell you why this is a place you must visit if you are ever in New Orleans. They have live piano music at night and the person behind the ivories will usually take any and all requests, the places is quaint, the staff is friendly, the drinks are stiff and they have a wide variety of single malt scotches and house specialty drinks made with an absinthe substitute made in New Orleans called Herbsaint. Not a nightclub, but one of the best places to have a drink, enjoy music, and meet all kinds of friendly New Orleans people. More than 5 stars!
Stay tuned for more places...
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