If you asked me two years ago what Las Vegas needed the most, it would not have been another fantastic show. It would not have been another hotel, nor another casino. Not more taxi cabs, not more strippers, and certainly not more people handing out 'call me I'm a lonely girl' cards. I would have said 'A gay club. Close to the strip. With good music and a fun crowd.' Someone was reading my mind.
In late 2004, the first 'Alternative Lifestyle' club on the Las Vegas strip opened with a lot of fanfare. The good reviews began to immediately pour in, and slowly it began to take a very prominent place on the strip.
Located at one end of the Desert Passage shopping complex, at Harmon and the Strip, Krave is more than just a nightclub. It's a theater. It's a lounge. It's a scene, and no matter who you are or what you're into, there's a little bit of it at Krave.
Home of 'The Fashionistas', the show I wrote about last week, Krave transforms from a 450 seat venue into a nightclub in the space of about ten minutes. Trust me, I watched it happen. It's Vegas after all, where anything is possible.
And truly anything is possible at Krave. The crowd reminded me of the clubs in Toronto. Every kind of person, from male to female, butch to queen, was out in force. People were dressed up and down; the casual boys in jeans and the funky hipster girls with their barely fitting handkerchief tops.
There were dancers on several platforms, showing some skin on the stage. And on the 'floor were crowds of boys and girls dancing. I was struck not only by how positive the vibe was, but by how incredibly diverse the crowd was. With Vegas being such an international travel destination, the crowd can't help but be diverse.
On the decks was resident DJ Talla, a gymnastics instructor who I believe hails from Brazil. Woof. He mixed the night up with refreshing music, bearing slightly to the more circuity sound of the times, but always keeping it happy. There were a few House tracks squeezed in, including a ferocious remix of 'Brighter Days' which got everyone up and moving.
If there was one complaint I had about Krave, it's that it isn't closer to Chicago. It's the kind of feel-good anything-goes club, with doors open to everyone, that I'd like to make a part of my regular weekend plans.
Who knows. Maybe there will be a Krave Chicago one day. Until then, I'll be making my regular visit to the desert. Only this time, I'll bring the tight pants.
With you in 4/4,
Peter Mavrik
peter@windycitymediagroup.com