Expect the unexpected when Spears opens LAX

It seems whatever gossip magazine you pick up, whichever Web site you log on to, the former pop music princess is the first person you see.

Whether it’s an investigation into alleged child abuse or alleged animal cruelty, Spears is always in the mix.

Well, Las Vegas better be prepared for more potential wackiness and the unexpected tonight when Spears hosts the opening of LAX nightclub inside the Luxor.

Spears’ hosting appearance will mark the first time the embattled singer has headlined an event at a Las Vegas nightclub since her New Year’s Eve appearance at Pure inside Caesars Palace.

But despite her past trials and tribulations, brass with Pure Management Group — the company that owns and operates LAX and Pure — have nothing but high expectations for Spears and the nightclub’s opening.

When Steve Davidovici and his partners at Pure Management Group decided to bring another mega-club to Las Vegas, they wanted something special.

“We wanted it to be unique,” Davidovici said. “We wanted to create something that wasn’t themed and was totally different.”

The 26,000-square-foot facility is really like no other club in Las Vegas. From the large Gothic doors that would fit perfectly protecting the entrance to a medieval fortress to the rich, dark overtones of the club’s decor, LAX is something the likes of which the city has yet to see.

The nightclub, which boasts celebrity investors DJ AM and Christina Aguilera, will feature 78 VIP tables for bottle service throughout the two-level venue. In comparison, sister club Pure nightclub inside Caesars Palace has 88 tables, which includes the VIP spots on the outdoor patio.

Despite what might sound slightly tight for patrons — LAX with 78 tables at 26,000 square feet and Pure with 88 tables at 40,000 square feet — partygoers actually will be surprised.

Wide hallways, a unique design and creative use of space should negate any tight quarters for those just looking to spend a night at a venue that will make a quick push to become Las Vegas’ top nightclub.

After catching a glimpse of LAX at a walkthrough of the club a week ago, the best thing to compare the inside of the facility to would be an early 20th-century opera house spiced up with a modern feel, sort of like something out of a scene from “Phantom of the Opera.”

Davidovici agreed, especially when it came to the timeless feel of LAX.

“The design would be popular in 1920 and just as popular in 2020,” Davidovici said.

The clincher to the LAX compound is Noir — the ultra-elite bar attached to the main nightclub. Noir has its own private entrance and will be a reservations-only establishment.

Davidovici and his partners wanted to bring Las Vegas something similar to Hyde, the West Hollywood nightclub that has become a favorite of celebrities like Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. He also compared it to Bungalow 8, the New York City celebrity hangout.

LAX probably will carve its own niche on the nightlife scene in its own quick way. And with Spears opening the venue tonight, her appearance should tell everyone one thing about the Luxor haunt.

Anything can happen on any given night at Las Vegas’ newest nightclub.

Jeremy Pond is the celebrity writer for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Vegas Confidential. His column appears Fridays in Neon and online at www.reviewjournal.com and www.normclarke.com. He can be reached at 383-0298 or via e-mail at jpond@reviewjournal.com.