20 HIPPEST HOTSPOTS

I caught this E! program about twenty minutes in, so I didn't get a chance to see #20-#16. Oh well, here's the list starting from #14 including my own promoters list just so you can throw some names out there when you party.

#15 The Raleigh, Miami, FL
#14 Cain, New York, NY
#13 Body English, Las Vegas, NV
#12 NA, New York, NY - Closed!
#11 Spider Club, Los Angeles, CA
#10 Hiro, New York, NY
#9 Prey, Los Angeles, CA
#8 Mansion, Miami, FL
#7 Light, Las Vegas, NV
#6 Marquee, New York, NY
#5 Sky Bar (at Shore Club), Miami, FL
#4 Mood, Los Angeles, CA
#3 Rain, Las Vegas, NV
#2 Bungalow 8, New York, NY
#1 Pure, Las Vegas, NV

Special Mentions
Shadow Bar, Las Vegas, NV
Geisha House, Los Angeles, CA
Employee's Only, New York, NY

Promoters/Owners
Ingrid Casares
Saady, Light
Robert Frey, Pure Management
Brent Bolthouse
Noel Ashman, NA
Steve Adelman, Spider Club
Nur Khan, Hiro
Sam Nazarian, Prey
Dave Grutman, Mansion
Marklen Kennedy, Light
Jason Kosmos, Employee's Only
Ben Pundole, Sky Bar
Hartwell, Josh Richman, Mood
George Maloof, Palms
Joe Nicely, Rain
Amy Sacco, Bungalow 8

Great chronology of Vegas club scene from Las Vegas Magazine:

1829 Spaniards discover area's artesian wells; promptly rope off wells and start charging cover.

1930 Pair O' Dice, Vegas' first nightclub, opens. And is immediately shut down by the vice squad.

1931 Gambling legalized. Pair O' Dice gives vice squad the finger.

1946 Flamingo Hotel opens. "Clubbing" has different meaning than today.

1947-1994 The Dark Ages, a time of misery and woe.

1995 Free-standing clubs Drink and eat Too and The Beach open. Locals now have two Strip-adjacent clubs from which to sneer at tourists. Club Rio opens. Tourists sneer back.

1996 Club Utopia opens. Locals now have a place to drop ecstasy and wave glo-sticks.

1997 Drai's, Studio 54 and Ra open. First customer barred from nightclub for wearing shorts and flip-flops.

2000 Danielle Heird ODs on ecstasy at C2K. Nothing funny about that, kids.

2001 Seven, Whiskey, Light, Rain and Ghostbar open. Oh my!

2003 Ice opens where Drink used to stand. What? No implosion? OPM opens with performance by Lou Rawls. Tabú introduces "ultralounge" into Vegas vernacular.

2004 Ed Williams is fired on camera as Ice's manager in TV's The Club and vows to return with Sith apprentice. Body English replaces Baby's; Hard Rock's ink goes from red to black. Krave, the first gay-friendly on-Strip club, opens—Frank Marino's happy squeal is heard throughout the city. Pure Management Group opens Tangerine and Pure.

2005 Jet opens. Empire Ballroom opens on Utopia's grave. Tao opens with one question: How'd they get the Buddha in there? La Bête opens at Wynn. La Bête closes at Wynn. Tryst opens at Wynn.

2006 Ra closes. Cherry opens. The beat goes on.

More Las Vegas club info from Las Vegas Magazine's Martin Stein and Xania Woodman:

There are plenty of sources of information about Vegas' clubs. This very publication runs a weekly nightlife section in which we list the main clubs, the acts performing and Xania's Hot Spots, highlighting the more exciting offerings each week. Hot Spots is even available online at www.lasvegasweekly.com and more of Xania's club news can be found at www.thecircuitlv.com. You can read reviews and descriptions of clubs, and find out their hours, music, dress codes and cover charges at www.vegas.com. Other websites include www.clubplanet.com and www.spyonvegas.com.

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