What's Happening, Vegas?: Paul Oakenfold's Perfecto Saturday's Club Rain in The Palms Las Vegas

Clubbing in Las Vegas 2008

By Xtine aka Christine A. Justice

Clubbing in Las Vegas will change Labor Day Weekend 2008

For at least five years we've been told that a major world-class top ten(or top twenty) dj/ producer/ label owner will set up shop/ residency/ club promotion in sin city.

Rain at the Palms will have Paul Oakenfold's Perfecto parties beginning Sat. Aug. 30th. Perfecto is the name of the label "Oakey" started. Paul will dj many of the Saturday nights( a reported commitment of at least 26 Sat. nights annually ). Rain's management has announced that the Perfecto ® party will host other internationally acclaimed dj's to 'man-the-decks' while he's away.

Once the hottest club in town, Rain has seen the fierce competition of forty new clubs opening during the past few years and the rise of the most powerful force:
Hip Hop fans.

Make no mistake, I love me some hip hop. I've been a fan since The Sugar Hill Gang came out with the 12" 'Rapper's Delite' back in 1980. I'm aware that Paul Oakenfold was instrumental in signing Salt n Pepa and DJ Jazzy Jeff (& the Fresh Prince aka Will Smith).

I just love E.D.M (Electronic Dance Music) a tiny bit more. Culturally speaking, the dj's who spin EDM and their fans are in love with life, music, humanity, are open minded about most types of music and love to dance.

Their love of music tends to be insatiable. When they follow a dj / producer they tend to buy their mixers, their remixes of other people's music, their original material, go to hear and see them spin other people's music and become their 'friends on myspace, facebook, etc.'

Hip hop fans, on-the-other-hand know ALL the lyrics to every song and know who's featured in their favorite artists videos and songs ( You know how long those "featuring" lists can be !). Hip hop fans buy everything their favorite artists are selling: alcohol, clothing, handbags,their protege's music, their jewelry, they storm their web sites,support their charities, their everything!

For fans of electronic music in Las Vegas, people have been forced to go on "off nights" or wait for major holiday weekends and pay at least double of what fans in other cities pay. That is because "Vegas is Vegas". Vegas has smaller venues than in Los Angeles, for example. Vegas has had to cater to the convention and wedding crowd. Bear in-mind that in Las Vegas there are only 2 mill. permanent residents which get outnumbered by the monthly visitors (average 3 mill. visitors per month). Those visitors come from everywhere. Vegas is tourist by nature. Many tourists want familiarity.

Hip hop comes with plenty of videos and lyrics. Electronic music does not.

That might change after Perfecto with host DJ/ Producer/ Label owner/ Paul Oakenfold begins at Rain in The Palms on Saturday, August 30th. All access passes for Rain, Ghostbar, Playboy & Moon are $100. Tickets for Rain are $40. Some people may be able to get on the guest list. Local ladies are sometimes admitted free.

For more info. about Saturday nights @ Rain,
please visit the Perfecto Vegas web site.

My thinking is there will be plenty of promotion/ marketing surrounding electronic music on Saturday nights in Las Vegas. People will get to know the labels and web sites that sell Electronic Music.They will seek out radio stations like the laptop radio station Vibe Radio 94.5 FM. They'll support Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights with electronic music not because they've been the only nights to have electronic music for a while but because they will be the more accessible evenings with less crowds. Fans will come on the weekends from Los Angeles to Las Vegas for world class dj's on Saturday nights and not just on the major holiday weekends.

Of course, there will still be the lion's share to be had by the clubs that play hip hop. I'm just happy to have more than one choice on my weekends!

In other sin city clubland news ...

Labor Day Weekend will be a huge blowout, as usual. I know blah, blah... Las Vegas is a clubbing destination especially during the major holidays like Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Here's a sample list of some of the clubs and the talent booked:

Paul Oakenfold (as mentioned above) Saturday, Aug. 30th Perfecto Las Vegas kick-of ( $40 to $100 ). Click poster below for larger image:

Paul Van Dyk Sunday, August 31st, tickets for all 14 MGM Grand events Labor Day weekend $350 @ Want Tickets.

Phone # USA 1. 866. 926. 8499

All 14 events include Studio 54, Tabu & Wet Republic pool parties.

In addition to Paul Van Dyk, BT, Serge Devant,Roger Sanchez, The Crystal Method, Sharam of Deep Dish,Matt Darey, Cedric Gervais, Kaskade, Deadmau5, DJ Kiss, DJ Five, Funky Bad Chad, (I may not have the complete list. For set times, please refer to venue management)

Club Rubber's Pimp N Ho will be Sunday, Aug. 31st with: Felix da Housecat, Filo & Peri, Eric Cubeechee, 4Strings, Beej, The Funkler, and Danny Love (maybe in somewhat random order)
Pre-sale tickets are $65.00
People are encouraged to dress up as Pimps and Ho's.
seriously:)

@ Tao Erick Morillo performs pre-sale-front-of-line tickets are $30.00

Perry Mann's Strippers & Hustlers Ball
August 30 & 31
The Orleans Arena
The Vegas Ball
$20,000 cash prizes for strippers
The Genitorturers, Host Gilby Clarke, D'Amato and
Girls, Girls, Girls will perform

For four years Sally Steele has printed a magazine dedicated to Rock in Las Vegas.
That publication is called Vegas Rocks!

Here's a few bands who will perform during Labor Day weekend, according to
Vegas Rocks' Concert Calendar:

3 Doors Down, Mandalay Bay, Friday, Aug. 29th
Hinder, also Mandalay Bay, Friday, Aug. 29th
Staind, Mandalay Bay, Friday, Aug. 29th

KISS performs at The Pearl Theatre in The Palms
Friday, Aug 29th

Ice Cube performs at The House Of Blues
Mandalay Bay Sat. Aug. 30th

The Tubes featuring Fee Waybill performs at Santa Fe Station on Sat. Aug. 30th

Air Supply performs at The Orleans Fri. Sat. and Sunday Aug. 29th -31st

Comedians are always coming to Las Vegas and Labor Day Weekend offers these performers:
Bill Engvall at T.I on Fri. Aug. 29,
Lewis Black in the Mirage Sat. Aug. 30th, and Sun. Aug. 31st,
David Spade @ Planet Hollywood Sat. and Sunday

List to be updated with more info. such as the new club Rockhouse and clubs like Krave's lineups for the holiday weekend.

Feel free to make a comment for other dates that have been overlooked.