March '08 Entertainment—The Circuit™ Column

2.29.08 - UPDATE: Jack Lafleur's next big move, more on Red Rock

GUESS WHO'S BACK

DJ Jack Lafleur signs on with Station Casinos for the summer pool party season

Did we call it or did we call it?! Following up on yesterday's big news about Chad Pallas, Adam Nixon and Kyle Markman departing the Hard Rock and all making the move to Station Casinos, The Circuit received some exclusive subsequent info on Jack Lafleur, who was also--before departing to focus on his DJ career--one of the founding fathers of Rehab.

In a deal made Thursday, February 27, DJ Jack Lafleur has signed on with Station Casinos as resident DJ for this season two of Red Rock Retreat. The weekly

industry escape to Red Rock Resort will tentatively kick off on May 5, Cinco de Mayo. This year's go-round is said to have been "beefed up a little...with more exciting pool events during the daytime and if Jack's on the decks, you can bet on it.

"This year we have had a little more time for preparation," said Natalia Badzjo, Nightlife Marketing Manager for Station Casinos, adding that a Green Valley Ranch version of Retreat has been discussed and that everyone involved is keen on the idea.

In addition to the Retreat, Red Rock will soon begin its new Reggae Wednesdays and Sunday Night Live concerts, both poolside at Cherry with the latter featuring four rotating live, local rock bands. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show will run from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

A Quick 'n Dirty Pool Party Update: The non-Rehab portion of the Hard Rock pool will open on March 11. Bare Pool Lounge at the Mirage (pictured left) opens on March 13. Wet Republic, the new adult pool at MGM Grand, is slated to open to the public on or around April 15. The newly renovated Rehab pool complex will open on April 27. Tao Beach will also open at the end of April. And finally, Ditch Fridays at the Palms Pool & Bungalows. will resume on May 2nd.

2.28.08 - BREAKING NEWS: Exit of Rehab founders complete

GO WEST, YOUNG MEN

Pallas and Nixon are California-bound

Sin City's loss is California's gain...at least for one year. Researching the impending wave of summer pool parties, The Circuit has discovered that Hard Rock Director of Client Development Adam Nixon and Director of Special Events Chad Pallas left the Hard Rock today, completing the exit of the three founding fathers of the infamous Rehab pool party; fellow founder Jack Lafleur left the Hard Rock at the end of June 2007 to pursue his DJ career.

Nixon and Pallas have joined up with Station Casinos where, as Co-Executive Directors of Nightlife Development and Nightlife Conception, the pair will design nightlife venues from the ground up for different Stations properties to address various demographics and, say Nixon and Pallas speaking exclusively to The Circuit, assist in all aspects of nightlife for future Station venues.

For one year beginning March 10, the team of Nixon and Pallas will work their magic at Station Casino locations in San Francisco and Sacramento, CA. (Rumor has it that upon their return, the two will turn their attention to Station's Vegas properties including Viva, a $4 Billion property being build near the Panorama Towers, just West of the I-15.) "[Station Casino execs] the Fertittas and [Red Rock COO] Kevin Kelley have the most exciting product in the market and we're excited to be a part of that, whether it's in California or at other Station properties in the future."

"We're both ecstatic about the opportunity to parlay our skill sets," explained the pair. "We'd like to take it to the next level, to take our ideas from conception to construction to a fully functional product or event."

Pallas started with the Hard Rock nearly a decade ago, Nixon shortly after Rehab's inception five years ago. In that time each had a vast impact on the Hard Rock and on the Las Vegas nightlife scene overall establishing Rehab Sundays, Relax Mondays and wild Sundays in the Parlor at Body English, among others. Keen to express their gratitude, the team says "We owe a tremendous amount of our success to the Hard Rock. It's a wonderful property...They've been amazing...given us amazing opportunities in particular Matt Green, Sr. VP of Operations. They've done nothing but great things for us and we wish nothing but great things for them in the future," says Nixon and Pallas, adding, "it will be a nice break from the Vegas market."

The Circuit has also learned that Hard Rock Marketing Manager Kyle Markman also gave notice today, entirely coincidentally! Markman will rejoin former Hard Rock

President Kelley at Stations, specifically Red Rock and Green Valley Ranch, as Senior Marketing Manager; neither Pallas nor Nixon had any prior knowledge of

Markman's departure.

With Pallas, Nixon and LaFleur all having moved on, one can easily speculate that the three might eventually find a way to reunite in the future. Rehab is slated to begin its fifth season on April 27, after renovations are completed. In a perfect world, one year from now, the trio of Pallas, Nixon and Lafleur will be back together, doing what they do best, bringing the party to the people. Hey guys, while you're at it, bring back the Pond!

STATE OF THE UNION

Renovations, reinventions, innovations...

If you’ve ever hired a contractor, then you know that completion dates are to be taken with an entire pillar of salt. But the staggering number of venues poised to descend upon the Vegas nightlife landscape is enough to make us wet ourselves (insert Paris Hilton joke here) with anticipation!

In addition to the MGM Grand’s adult pool Wet Republic, rumored to be opening April 15, a new nightclub is expected to grace the casino floor’s nightlife corridor further on into the year. Over at TI, Love & Hate—Tangerine’s reincarnation—was last said to be arriving in “Spring 2008,” but in light of Pure Management Group’s recent IRS troubles, it’s anyone’s guess when we’ll actually get to love PMG’s new hot spot.

A source within the N9NE Group confirms, “We do have two new brands that we are placing in [Rain] over the next few months,” adding that “Ghostbar is perfect as it is.” Changes will begin to appear in the second and third quarters of the year, beginning with an earth-shattering announcement of a musical nature …

Also slated for spring is Sugarcane ultralounge, which will accompany Sushisamba restaurant when it arrives in the Palazzo shops in late April or early May. Tao’s Turkish/Roman bathhouse-themed restaurant and lounge is looking at a mid-May reveal, though we have been told on the sly to keep Memorial Day weekend free.

Understated and organic, the most recent renderings show dark woods, delicate slate blue, cream and gold and, of course, a long corridor of water-filled basins leading upstairs to the skylight-dappled lounge where floor-to-ceiling windows give party-goers an unforgettable view from under a domed ceiling.

At the Hard Rock, Carey Hart’s Wasted Space music venue has slid back from March to “in the early summer, May/June.” The renovated Rehab pool complex is slated to debut along with the party’s fifth season at the very end of April.

The fire at Monte Carlo has pushed Light Group’s Brand Steakhouse & Lounge back from April to May, while Yellowtail Sushi is still on track for June at Bellagio. An insider also mentioned that Mist and Caramel lounges are both due for some spiffing up, likely in 2008, to help the mature lounges keep pace with sleek Jet and the shiny new Bank.

The much-renamed Lounge at Trader Vic’s (aka Head Candy, Starr Bar) is now featuring the musical stylings of lounge singer Jimmy Hopper, formerly of the Bellagio’s Fontana Lounge, performing Thursday-Sunday at 10 p.m.

Automatic Slim’s is ready (in theory) to rock the front of the Venetian, but according to partner Jonathan Fine, it will have to wait for the go-ahead from General Growth

Properties to begin work on the building’s façade. Fine predicts a late-summer arrival in that space formerly occupied by Venus and, later, Vivid.

Speaking of space, the intriguingly named ND’s Space will touch down in the Palazzo shops on August 29. When completed, the lounge, intimate theater and One Shot coffee shop will occupy the entire third floor of the shops. The lounge’s six large windows and terrace are currently visible from Las Vegas Boulevard.

At the tail-end of the year, Victor Drai will unveil his third Vegas nightclub—said to be his most beautiful yet—at Wynn’s Encore property. The venue, which is currently under construction, is scheduled to open with the rest of the property in December and is “overall, much bigger than Tryst,” according to an insider, “different, maybe even sexier than Tryst as well.”

Downtown, The Hive bar and concert venue is steadily sliding back from an initially anticipated April opening into May and perhaps beyond. The once-mentioned Club V has been split, with one half rumored to have been set aside to become Rockin’ Ricks sometime this summer, and the other—also zoned for a nightclub/tavern—available for lease. You can get the remaining 6,000-square-foot downstairs and 2,000 upstairs for just $1.75 per square foot.

So, anyone looking to open a nightclub???

Xania Woodman has never met a martini she didn't like.