Drake’s $2M night on Las Vegas Strip boosted by his new bubbly
More details about Drake’s performance at XS Nightclub on Thursday night/Friday morning are bubbling over. He took in a record $2 million for the performance, we’re reliably informed.
The one-night take was a club record, topping the former record by about $1 million. The revenue stream was boosted by the serving of the rap star’s new Mod champagne, which he unveiled last week. This effort makes sense if you know Drake’s Twitter handle is @champagnepapi.
Bottles of his Mod Réserve retail for $300. His Mod Rosé Champagne is $400 (prices for the scores of bottles served at XS on Thursday have not been verified, but expect they were even higher than those listed).
The Mod/Wynn Nightlife partnership is certainly lucrative, and the champagne is distributed exclusively in Las Vegas by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Nevada.
The night-of prices for Drake, expected to announce a 12-show residency at the club covering this year and 2020, were a whopping $500 for men and $300 for women. He toasted to close the night (or, rather, morning), and as he said he’ll be “back all year” at XS.
Zedd makes a record
On the topic of celebrating in the high-rent district, Omnia Nightclub at Caesars Palace and Hakkasan Group threw a $100,000 party for superstar DJ Zedd on Friday night. This was not Zedd’s birthday party (his birth date is Sept. 2, 1989). Rather, it was a festival simply to celebrate the Splendor of Zedd, a Grammy Award-winning artist, iHeart Radio Music Award nominee and frequent lord of the manor at Omnia.
The club hauled in a massive ball pit (DJ Massive Ball Pit would be a good EDM handle), gladiator-style jousting, live human statues, an inflatable champagne hot tub, money-machine party cube, and an oversized throne, among other amenities. This all played out on the dance floor under the 22,000-pound kinetic chandelier — which is without question the city’s pre-eminent 22,000-pound kinetic chandelier.
Of shows and shoes
This, from the D Las Vegas’ co-owner Derek Stevens on Saturday night. “You know times have changed when I had to take my shoes into IT to have them re-charged.” True. Stevens’ LED-trimmed kicks needed a boost of juice to carry him through the sold-out Collective Zoo “Zoology” EDM show at Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. Shiba San, Latmun, GMBT, 530, and Pilosa filled out the pulsating performance.
DLVEC is Stevens’ company’s primary entertainment venue, even as Circa Resort & Casino is coming online in December 2020. The massive project on the corner of Main and Fremont streets covers a city block (wiping out Las Vegas Club, Mermaid’s and Glitter Gulch) and the plan is for 777 rooms. But a showroom won’t be one of them. Stevens said Saturday that the hotel, the first constructed on Fremont Street since the California opened in 1975, will not have a dedicated theater or showroom.
This brings further attention to DLVEC as Stevens’ entertainment, events and sports-viewing center. The D also has its Showroom at the D second-level venue, home to “Marriage Can Be Murder,” “Friends! The Musical Parody,” Adam London’s “Laughter Noon” comedy-magic show and Jokesters Comedy Club.
The hotel’s Longbar, too, could be considered an entertainment venue. Many characters down there, including an owner with flashy feet.
P&T’s 18-26
Penn & Teller celebrated their 18th anniversary at the Rio on Wednesday. Monday, they celebrate their 26th anniversary headlining in Las Vegas since they debuted at Bally’s. The duo appear on NBC’s “Late Night With Seth Meyers” on Thursday.
ShowBuzz!
Expecting Santiago Michel, late of Sin City Theater at Planet Hollywood, to relocate to Anthony Cools Showroom at Paris Las Vegas soon. Michel’s “Ilusión Mental” show is billed as “the first and only Spanish-speaking show” on the Strip; this would discount the two all-Spanish headlining performances by stand-up comic Paul Rodriguez at the Tropicana in the summer of 2010.
Also, something of great interest to those who wonder about the future of Paris Theater: A RuPaul drag production is expected to move into the currently closed venue this year.
Great Moments In Social Media
A #GSISM in the welterweight category to Floyd Mayweather. The Money Man took to Instagram for a video of himself shopping in what appears to be a Fendi outlet as he chats on an his mobile phone while wearing a diamond watch, after setting five thick stacks of $100 bills on the counter.
The sales person is totally devoid of expression … wait, that’s a mannequin.
But The Money Man’s IG feed is something to behold. Worth every penny.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.