“
SHARE NIGHTCLUB AIMS TO LAY THE FOUNDATION OF LAS VEGAS’ GAY VILLAGE
“
share I by R
t takes a village to build a community. Newcomers to the Las Vegas gay scene often complain about the lack of community here in one of America’s fastest growing and most transient cities. But Michael Crisp, a long-time Las Vegas gay resident and owner of the new SHARE Nightclub and Ultra Lounge says we have a strong community, we just haven’t built around it the infrastructure of a gay village that other cities with strong gay identities have, like Palm Springs or West Hollywood. Crisp aims to lay the foundation of Las Vegas’ gay village at SHARE. While Las Vegas might be said to be the nightclub capital of the world, clubs appealing to a specifically gay and lesbian audience can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Clubs that are truly welcoming to the community are even harder to find. The typical club that opens its doors at midnight and has a VIP list more rarefied than the guest list to a Lady Gaga party might give you the opportunity to Stand and Pose while being underwhelmed by the latest SKAM artist, but are we having fun yet? Welcome to SHARE. This new club is all about hanging with friends in an inviting “community” atmosphere where the focus is on the pop and hip hop party music spun by top DJs. Crisp wants to get the party going before midnight with a community nightlife scene where friends can drop in for drinks after work or transition to the club after dinner or a show as well as party all weekend. He
icha
rd D
avi s
wants SHARE to be a place of community for gay Las Vegans and the number one party destination for out-of-town gays. Not that SHARE lacks for any amenities that make Las Vegas a party destination, if anything Crisp has raised the bar. The $7 million stand-alone club is divided into a nightclub and ultra lounge. The downstairs nightclub has plenty of space to party while maintaining a friendly intimacy. The style, Crisp says, is retro Vegas, a sort of extravagant modernism. Comfortable banquetts line a wall decorated with subtle rainbow stripes, lending to the community ambiance. Cabanas with sheer drapes provide privacy while allowing guests to feel like they are still part of the party. SHARE provides table service with a table minimum rather than a bottle minimum because Crisp says the gay community likes to party with our friends with everyone ordering a variety of drinks rather than single bottles. Great sightlines to the stage mean that the top entertainment featured can be seen as well as heard, such as American Idol runner-up Blake Lewis and Logo’s A-List New York’s Reichen, Rodiney and Austin, who played the club on New Year’s weekend. Crisp says he wants a higher level of artistic talent and sophistication for his entertainment line-up. SHARE creates a total ambiance with character performers, like the Mad Hatter, and other entertainments popping up throughout the club, like
“WE HAVE A STRONG COMMUNITY, WE JUST HAVEN’T BUILT AROUND IT THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF A GAY VILLAGE THAT OTHER CITIES WITH STRONG GAY IDENTITIES HAVE, LIKE PALM SPRINGS OR WEST HOLLYWOOD.”
>> continued on page 57
QVEGAS JANUARY 2012
55