Events
19. Hottest One-Off Party
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, N9NE Group
Summer got extra hot in July when the Palms hosted its fourth annual midsummer extravaganza. More than a party, the evening was the event of the season, with more than 2,500 revelers scattered across the pool area in various states of dress (or undress). Attendees eagerly embraced the “Gods and Goddesses” theme, showing off their sexed-up Grecian costumes, while the Palms Pool and Bungalows was transformed, too, creating a sight—make that a scene—for sore eyes. Add Entourage actor Kevin Dillon’s birthday party to the mix, along with a healthy dose of Playboy bunnies and a former-yet-still-fit-and-fab Playmate of the Year (Jenny McCarthy), and the end result was the party of the year.
20. Best Industry Night
Sundays at The Bank Nightclub, Bellagio
Serving up consistently creative awards ceremonies, themed parties and attention-grabbing contests that make even the most jaded locals eager to participate, Sundays at The Bank has made its mark and become a regularly scheduled clubbing experience for many. After all, there is something comforting about going to a place where you can reasonably expect to see any number of people you truly like being around, all the while enjoying cocktails and likely being honored or competing for a lavish prize reserved for only those local nightlife industry members who have made their name and party abilities known.
21. Best New Party
Snitch Wednesdays, Ghostbar at The Palms
It’s the party’s innate different-ness that makes it a winner—hip, local-focused and the first ongoing party to successfully lure the downtown hipsters out of the bars and into a nightclub. With a music format of “electro, soul, classic hip-hop, future disco, dopeness,” Snitch began as an experimental new event that was green-lighted and then championed by N9NE Group’s vice president of brand management, Bronson Olimpieri. At the helm is the new A Team: DJ88 (a.k.a. Bree Cohen), marketing manager and Snitch project manager Rachel Wenman, new resident DJ M!ke Attack and music director Dave Fogg. Since its March debut, Snitch has welcomed a steady stream of break-out underground artists and DJs, such as Beardo, Amanda Blank, Kid Sister, crossover artist Theophilus London, hipster socialite Roxy Cottontail, DJ Adam 12 from She Wants Revenge and L.A.’s DJ Dainjazone. “And 2011 is going to be 10 times stronger,” 88 says.
22. The Raddest Party You’re Not Going To
Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend After-parties
Clear off some calendar space for June 2-5. If you failed to do that last June, you missed out on one of the best (and probably weirdest) party weekends in Vegas. If you’re only going to go to one event, make it the Miss Exotic World pageant after-party, held at the Plaza’s Firefly last time. Imagine a room stocked to the brim with hard-drinking girls in evening gowns and long gloves. And, uh, dudes in evening gowns, too; or possibly a tux and tails (but no pants). Now multiply that by gin and divide by inhibitions, and you have a rough idea of what to look forward to.
23. Best Export Product
The Get Back
With all this (rightful) glee about Zappos’ impending move, it might be easy to forget that it was the Get Back that first got us back to where we all belong—downtown! DJ John Doe’s funky soul dance party picked up steam at the Aruba in 2002, but soon after grooved on down to Neonopolis’ (now defunct) Saloon, and then to Beauty Bar. The Get Back is so intertwined with the First Friday art walk that many non-arty folks say they are “going to First Friday” but mean the Get Back, and it is such a success for the Beauty Bar that John Doe was invited to take the monthly throw-down to the bar chain’s Denver location in August. Much like the Double Down Saloon (another Vegas-born success that opened elsewhere), The Get Back has earned much love from funk-starved Denver kids. Vegas, obviously, knows how to party.
24. Biggest Haul
SpyOnVegas’ Hot100, Wet Republic Ultra Pool at the MGM Grand
It takes three months and incalculable yards of bikini string, but this April-to-July beauty competition (run by Vegas Seven’s sister company) makes it all worthwhile to its participants—in the form of $100,000 in prizes. For winner Lisa Angeline, it meant a $35,000 payday—to go with the $25,000 she won in the contest last year. Runner-up Miranda Langil nabbed $20,000, while third-place finisher Bohara Golestani cashed $10,000. We all knew there were ways to pay your mortgage for the year through the powers of being scantily clad, but who knew you could do it out in public and everything, too?
25. The Howard Stern Memorial Nightlife Award
Miss Butterface, Jet Nightclub at The Mirage
If a nightlife event is to be judged by how much ire the video raised on YouTube comments, then Jet’s Sept. 27 Miss Butterface 2010 would be the unparalleled king of that furious, barely literate mountain. Said helloworld99100, in (sic) (sic) (sic) fashion:
… these whores wonder why men are now concidered the more powerfull out of the sexes. … i swearr. and if some guy ever said “look at that ugly face” to me i would kick his balls so_ hard they would come out of his mouth.
The grand prize for Arizona’s Tamara Marie—one of three girls to march out onstage with nothing but a bikini, a bag on her head and the desperately concealed smile God gave her—was a $5,000 package for plastic surgeon “Dr. 90210.”