By Judy Thorburn
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Owner/Editor in Chief/writer - Las Vegas Round The Clock
Owner/Editor in Chief/writer - The Flick Chicks
Director of Communications - Nevada Film Alliance
www.theflickchicks.com
Highly Anticipated Cosmopolitan Las Vegas Opens
Just a few weeks before 2010 came to a close, the highly anticipated newest strip resort The Cosmopolitan opened its doors to the public on the evening of Wednesday, December 15 with 2,000 of its 2,995 rooms ready to accommodate guests. It was the only hotel-casino to open in 2010, with the remainder of its rooms scheduled to open by July 2011.
Stars Come Out for The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas New Year's Eve and Grand Opening Celebration
For New Years Eve, the hottest ticket in town was the grand opening of the Cosmopolitan resort, which rang in 2011 with plenty of stars and style. Headliners JAY-Z and Coldplay played an intimate concert filled with surprises, kicking off a weekend-long star-studded celebration.
Coldplay kicked off the evening with a 12 song set, which included Yellow, In My Place and Clocks. To ring in the New Year, JAY-Z joined Coldplay on stage for a rendition of Lost, followed by a countdown to midnight. Coldplay then ended their set with crowd favorite Viva La Vida.
Sean “Diddy” Combs Host Lavish New Year’s Eve Bash at LAX Nightclub
Famed music mogul, fashion designer and actor: Sean “Diddy” Combs (aka. Diddy. Mr. Combs. Puff Daddy. Sean Jean. P. Diddy) took Sin City by storm, creating the biggest and most lavish party for New Year’s Eve 2011 at LAX nightclub inside Luxor Hotel and Casino.
Additional recent and upcoming “happenings” in and around Las Vegas include:
Jersey Boys has an exclusive offer for Las Vegas Locals. Save $40 off front orchestra seats for performances through January 16, 2011. Call 702-414-9000 or visit any Palazzo or Venetian Box Office and mention code 40LOC.
Gregory Popovich's Comedy Pet Theater performed its final shows on Sunday, January 2 in the showroom at the V Theater inside the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. Gregory Popovich is leaving the V Theatre to tour his show on the east coast.
The Manufactured Superstars are the first entertainers to land an exclusive DJ residency at XS and Tryst, the sophisticated nightclubs at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore. The residency will start on New Year’s Day at XS, with 25 additional dates split between the two venues over the next year. The electronic music duo consisting of two members, Brad Roulier and Shawn Sabo, offer a strikingly unique sound. They are best known for mashing up popular electro, progressive, house, pop music, and several other genres of music, to make every track unique to their performance. The duo are also both founding members of the industry leading electronic music portal, Beatport.com, which helps them stay at the forefront of what’s gaining popularity on dance floors across the world.
Encore Beach Club, Surrender and XS Nightclubs have joined forces to introduce an exclusive residency with Afrojack, one of the most celebrated deejays in the world. With a peerless reputation, Afrojack’s signature style presents remix requests that most dance artists will only ever dream of. Respected by his colleagues for his production skills and loved by clubbers for his dance floor bombs and energetic performances, Afrojack is setting new standards in the industry. Afrojack’s exclusive Encore Las Vegas residency kicks off in January; XS on Monday, January 3 and Surrender on Wednesday, January 5.
Serving as the kick off to their national tour Tuaca Liqueur will bring their eye-catching Body Art Ball to the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino on January 5, 2011. A perfect blend of body art, drama and personality, this bold take on pop culture is a choreographed stage show featuring painted performers illustrating the transformation of the human body into a canvas. Performers in Tuaca Body Art Ball include the likes of Liinda Garisto, choreographer from Canada’s So You Think You Can Dance and Lead in Stomp It Out; Viktoria Grimmy from the recently released feature film Burlesque; and American Idol Season 7 finalist Nina Shaw. This fast paced variety show is packed with dancers, singers, and specialty acts all set to a dynamic soundtrack.
The fun really starts before the show when attendees will be awash in body art interactive platforms. There will be a Tuaca photo booth featuring fully painted BAB performers, Mod Your Bod station to transform yourself into a virtual body of art, mannequin contest and displays, henna artists and, airbrush artists and Show Us Your Ink tattoo competitions. Tickets can be obtained by texting the market-specific keyword VEGAS to 68405. Please visit www.tuacabodyartball.com for venues and more information. Attendees must be 21 and older. Tickets and proper ID must be presented at the door.
Nationally acclaimed industry-leading “better burger” restaurant Smashburger is starting the year off right by supporting the local chapter of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). For every “better burger” lover who purchases a Sin City Smashburger or Sin City Smashchicken sandwich throughout the entire month of January, Smashburger will donate one dollar to JDRF to help fund research and advancements in the management and eventual cure of type 1 diabetes.
Classical music legend Pepe Romero will perform in concert at The UNLV Performing Arts Center at 8 p.m. on Saturday, January 8 as part of the Charles Vanda Master Series. Dubbed the “ambassador of classical guitar” in a career that has spanned nearly six decades, The New York Times calls his artistry “subtle, … spontaneous, and virtuosic.” Tickets to Pepe Romero are $30, $45, and $65 and can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center Box Office at 895-ARTS (2787) or by visiting pac.unlv.edu.
PBR Rock Bar & Grill at Miracle Mile Shops in Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino will celebrate the Adult Entertainment Expo and Adult Video News Awards with the first annual “Hoe-Down Hoedown,” Friday, Jan. 7 starting at 10 p.m. Party with some of adult entertainment’s finest and compete in the mechanical bull riding competition. The most impressive bull rider will win a $500 cash prize. Revelers can enjoy 2-for-$8 beers and two-for-one Hoedown Throwdowns, PBR Rock Bar’s specialty cocktail.
To kick off the Adult Video News Awards, porn industry’s biggest night, McFadden’s Restaurant and Saloon at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino presents “Party Like A Pornstar” hosted by infamous porn vixen Mary Carey on Saturday, Jan. 8, at 10 p.m. Festivities include jaw-dropping drink specials and a lap dance contest. The sexiest dancer of the night will take home a $50 McFadden’s gift certificate.
Starting Saturday, January 8, through the remainder of the NFL post season, RHUMBAR will host playoff tailgates on the patio, featuring plenty of football, food and drink specials to go around.
Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art (BGFA) brings together the world of art and wine with “Art & Wine: A Perfect Pairing,” featured on the second Wednesday of each month beginning Wednesday, Jan. 12 from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. The event pairs wines from Bellagio’s cellar with artworks featured in the gallery’s current exhibition, “Figuratively Speaking: A Survey of the Human Form.” A highlight of the program is an interactive conversation of wine and art that blends the expertise of Jason Smith, Bellagio’s Director of Wine and one of the hotel’s four Master Sommeliers, with the knowledge of Tarissa Tiberti, BGFA Director. Depending on the art, liberties may be taken matching spirits from champagne to tequila, to possibly beer, given the inspiration. Ticket prices for “Art & Wine” are $25 for BGFA members and $33 for non-members. Guests must be 21 years of age or older.
Multi-award-winning comedian, actress, writer and bestselling author Rita Rudner brings her acclaimed offbeat humor to the spectacular 742-seat Venetian showroom beginning on Saturday, Jan. 15. Show times are at 8:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and 6 p.m. on Saturdays. Ticket prices start at $53.90 for General Admission, $75.90 for Premiere Seating and $108.90 for VIP Seating inclusive of tax and handling fees.
Spirit Therapies, a non-profit organization that provides therapeutic horseback riding for individuals with special needs is hosting their 2nd Annual 5 K Run 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk TROT UP FOR SPIRIT on Saturday, January 15, 2011 beginning at 8:30 a.m. Visit the web site www.spirittherapies.org for additional information or to register. All proceeds benefit our individuals with special needs.
After completing a successful 6 month run at the Riviera, Greg London is moving his show Impressions to the Las Vegas Hilton’s Shimmer Cabaret showroom beginning January 31, 2011.
Celebrity Chef Hubert Keller begins recording the third season of his highly successful cooking show, Hubert Keller: Secrets of a Chef, on a new set at Vegas PBS in January 2011. The show will air nationwide on PBS stations in spring 2011.
In honor of Neil Diamond’s 70 birthday The Club at the Cannery Casino & Hotel will feature Rob Garrett the King of Diamonds, a Neil Diamond Tribute artist on Saturday, January 22 at 8 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door.
Comedienne, writer, actress and author Paula Poundstone brings her hilarious stand up act, along with engaging audience interaction, to The Orleans Showroom January 22 and 23, each evening at 8 p.m. Tickets are available starting from $19.95, plus tax and convenience fees.
Jay Leno returns to Terry Fator Theatre inside The Mirage Jan. 22, Feb. 18 – 19 and March 18 – 19. Performance time is 10 p.m. nightly. Tickets are $99.99, $89.99 and $79.99 plus tax and service fees.
Bobby Slayton “The Pit Bull of Comedy,” returns to headline in the Night Owl Showroom at Hooters Casino Hotel beginning January, 27, 2011 through April 2, 2011 for a limited engagement. Tickets are $39.95 per person.
Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art (BGFA) is extending its current exhibition, “Figuratively Speaking: A Survey of the Human Form,” through March 27, 2011. Organized in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), “Figuratively Speaking” has received rave reviews from critics and patrons alike since opening in May 2010. With artworks culled from MCASD and MFA’s permanent collections, alongside works from MGM Resorts International’s Fine Art Collection, “Figuratively Speaking” showcases a wide range of figurative styles in a variety of media by artists whose unique perspectives have defined the genre including the Cubist paintings of Pablo Picasso and the Surrealist sculptures of Alberto Giacometti to the Pop Art collages of Keith Haring and the Photorealistic portraits of Chuck Close. Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art is open Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Celebrity sightings:
Tuesday night, December 14...
Actress Penelope Miller stopped by N9NE Steakhouse inside Palms Casino Resort.
Wednesday, December 15...
Mark Burnett, British TV producer known for creating TV shows such as “Survivor” and “The Apprentice,” dined at N9NE Steakhouse.
Saturday, December 18…
Actor Miguel Nunez Jr. and friends partied at Playboy Club inside Palms Casino resort.
Former Disney star Vanessa Hudgens celebrated her 22nd birthday at PURE Nightclub inside of Caesars Palace. Despite her rumored breakup to longtime boyfriend Zac Efron, the Hollywood it girl still made it to her big Sin City birthday bash.
The young starlet along with five of her closest friends, including BFFs Ashley Tisdale and Brittany Snow kicked the night off with dinner at Social House inside Crystals at CityCenter.
Vanessa Hudgens made her grand entrance at PURE Nightclub without her former flame by her side. Instead, she swapped out the heartthrob and replaced him with none other than her best friends Tisdale and Snow. The adorable actress posed for pictures as hundreds of admirers yelled her name and wished her a “Happy Birthday.”
Vanessa Hudgens
Photo credit: Denise Truscello/Wire Image
Vanessa Hudgens with cake
Photo credit: Denise Truscello/Wire Image
Hudgens was then escorted inside to the club’s iconic main stage, quickly becoming the center of attention as the DJ announced her arrival to the crowd. Shortly after arriving to her VIP table, the actress was presented with a 3-foot-tall red velvet birthday cake.
Former NBA star Charles Barkley was spotted with friends at TAO Las Vegas.
With the curtains closed and out of the public eye Hudgens threw her purse down, took off her heels and started dancing with Tisdale and Snow. However, she did take a break and sat down when the song “Break Up” by Mario played in the background, but quickly got up again and started cheering when “On to the Next One” by Jay-Z came on. The energetic star didn’t stop all night as she danced while on top of the furniture, whipping her hair back and forth and even challenged Tisdale to a dance off. She was all smiles behind the scenes as she let loose to celebrate her special day.
A little after 1 am, the group decided to call it a night and return back to the Emperors Suite also knows as the “Rain Man” Suite at Caesars Palace, featured in the hit movie Hangover, where they continued their private party.
Actor Miguel Nunez was spotted at Playboy Club inside Palms Casino Resort. Accompanied by four friends, Nunez enjoyed the atmosphere before moving upstairs to Moon Nightclub.
Sunday afternoon, December 19...
Disney starlets Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and Brittany Snow were spotted at the Las Vegas dining hot spot, Serendipity 3 at Caesars Palace. The beauties were in town celebrating Hudgens’ birthday in true Vegas style.
Tuesday, December 21…
Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison from History Channel’s reality TV show, Pawn Stars, dined at N9NE Steakhouse inside Palms Casino Resort
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, reality TV star on MTV’s Jersey Shore, partied at Moon Nightclub in with six friends.
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro with friends
Photo Credit: Shane O'Neal/9 Group
Wednesday night, December 22…
Ashley Benson was spotted dining at LAVO. The actress, who turned 21 last Saturday, was joined by friends at the Italian eatery.
NBA athlete Greg Oden dined at N9NE Steakhouse inside Palms Casino Resort.
Friday night, December 24...
Earl Watson, basketball player for the Utah Jazz, dined at N9NE Steakhouse.
Sunday night, December 26...
Illusionist Criss Angel, was spotted at LAVO.
Tuesday, December 28...
Dana White, UFC president, dined at N9NE Steakhouse inside Palms Casino Resort.
Rocker Vince Neil and his lady friend enjoyed drinks at the bar inside N9NE Steakhouse.
DJ Skeet Skeet (real name Trevor McFedries) performed at the weekly party BANG at Moon Nightclub.
Wednesday, December 29...
Actor and comedian, Pauly Shore, and two friends dined at N9NE Steakhouse inside Palms Casino Resort.
Professional boxer, Floyd Mayweather also was spotted with friends at the eatery.
Thursday, December 30…
In the afternoon,Cameron Diaz and Alex Rodriguez were spotted shopping for sweets at Sugar Factory inside Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.
In the evening, Rapper Lil Jon spotted enjoying dinner at Strip House at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.
Actor Thomas Dekker was spotted at LAVO celebrating his 23rd birthday with his mom and a friend.
At TAO Brandy, who recently competed on Dancing with The Stars, dined with her boyfriend before heading over to check out Marquee. Fashion designer Alexander Wang also fueled up at TAO before hitting the newest nightclub from the partners behind TAO and LAVO.
Disney darling, Bella Thorne, along with co-stars Adam Irigoyen and Zendaya, enjoyed a casual dinner at Cabo Wabo Cantina at Miracle Mile Shops inside Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.
Professional skateboarder, Ryan Sheckler celebrated his 21st birthday at Moon Nightclub inside Palms Casino Resort. Sheckler was treated to surprise performances by Snoop Dogg and LMFAO, who performed their hit song “Shots”. Sheckler was then presented with a half-pipe birthday cake made by Caked Las Vegas and the prestige Playboy Club key presented by two sexy Playboy Bunnies at the end of the night. Earlier that night, Sheckler dined at N9NE Steakhouse
Ryan Sheckler
Photo credit: Joe Fury/9 Group
Ryan Sheckler
Photo credit: Joe Fury/9 Group
Ryan Sheckler and Snoop Dogg
Photo credit: Joe Fury/9 Group
Other celebrities at Moon included Dingo (real name Luke Trembath), Australian snowboarder, Dana White, UFC president, Evan Longoria, third baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays and Adrienne Maloof and husband Paul Nassif from Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”
Paul Nassif, Adrienne Maloof and Ryan Sheckler
Photo credit: Tracy Lee
Friday night, New Years Eve…
Owner of the Golden Nugget, Tilman Fertitta, received a special call from friend and fellow Houstonian, Scott J. Kelly, commander of the International Space Station, Expedition 26. Kelly, who was at the time traveling 17,000 mph over Hawaii, wished everyone in the Golden Nugget's Rush Lounge a Happy New Year over speakerphone during Frankie Moreno's set.
A photo of Las Vegas sent from space
Photo credit: Scott J. Kelly.
Jared Leto, lead singer for 30 Seconds to Mars made an appearance at N9NE Steakhouse. Dressed in a blonde wig, Leto and his band stopped by and signed a few autographs. Evan Longoria, Major League Baseball player for the Tampa Bay Rays, came in with a group of 10 friends. Cain Velasquez, mixed martial artist and current UFC heavyweight champion also dined at the restaurant with a party of seven. Velasquez started out with lobster pot stickers, oysters and stuffed mushrooms.
LMFAO, an electro-hop group, performed a special New Year’s celebration concert at Moon Nightclub. Longoria and his group of friends made their way to the sexy nightclub after dinner to have a few drinks. Also at the nightclub was The Miz (Michael "Mike" Mizanin), reality television personality and professional wrestler, with eight friends; Jensen Lewis , Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians with 10 friends; and Daniel Negreanu, professional poker player, came in for drinks with 20 friends.
LFMAO
Photo credit: Joe Fury/9 Group
Kim Kardashian celebrated the New Year at her favorite place, Tao Las Vegas. She arrived in a silver hand beaded asymmetric draped dress that was custom made by Marc Bouwer as well as signature Christian Louboutin heels.
Kim Kardashian
Photo credit: Denise Truscello
Rob and Kim Kardashian
Photo credit: Denise Truscello
Kim Kardashian
Photo credit: Denise Truscello
Rob Kardashian, Brittny Gastineau, famed video director Hype Williams and many other friends helped Kim ring in the New Year at Tao Nightclub after dinner. She arrived to Tao with mic in hand as she addressed the screaming crowd, “I did my 30th birthday here a couple months ago. I am happy to be back! The party began and included lots of dancing and laughing with close friends.
Holly Madison started New Year’s Eve with boyfriend Jack Barakat and best friend Angel Porrino for an intimate dinner at Lavo restaurant. The Golden Girl arrived to the red carpet in a futuristic deco gold one strap asymmetrical dress paired with gold sparkle peep-toe sling back Christian Louboutins.
Holly Madison and best friend Angel Porrino
Photo credit: Al Powers
Holly Madison and boyfriend Jack Barakat
Photo credit: Al Powers
Next stop was Lavo Nightclub where Holly served as Master of Ceremonies to ring in the New Year. She entered hand in hand with boyfriend Jack and they headed straight to the corner booth in front of the DJ. Holly and Angel instantly grabbed New Year’s headpiece and noisemakers that they rocked all night! She ended the night heading back to her spacious Palazzo hotel room where they continued the party until the early morning.
Pop diva Rihanna rang in 2011 at PURE Nightclub inside Caesars Palace. After spending the holidays in Barbados, the songstress took off to Las Vegas to celebrate New Year’s Eve at the Las Vegas hotspot. Prior to her arrival to PURE, hundreds of admirers lined up along the casino floor next to the nightclub and waited patiently for the celebrity’s arrival. Just after 11 pm, the packed resort was filled with screaming and cheering guests as Rihanna made her way to the red carpet. Donning an attention-grabbing and revealing red and see-through dress, the edgy fashion forward stunner turned heads as she posed for pictures.
As she was being escorted inside the club, the Barbadian beauty was welcomed with a mind-blowing roar from the excited crowd. Not stopping to say hi to fans or take pictures, Rihanna quickly rushed to her VIP table located on the nightclub’s main stage. Joining the chart-topper were 10 of her closest friends, family and tight security team. However, boyfriend Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dogers was nowhere in sight. Earlier this week, news flourished that the singer had split with Kemp who had been dating for almost a year. Despite her rumored breakup, the “Only Girl” singer was in good spirits throughout the evening as she was seen smiling, having a good time and dancing while sipping on Belvedere Vodka and orange juice.
Rather than being front and center, Rihanna opted to stay out of the public eye as much as possible by hiding behind her friends and security team. Fans that could not get a glimpse of her started chanting her name as they waited patiently to see her. But as soon as the DJ played her hit single “Rude Boy” the camera-shy singer loosened up and gave the crowd got its first sighting of the celebrity. She came up to the front with her hands up in the air and danced along to the track.
Just before midnight, Rihanna took center stage as she amped up the crowd by getting on the mic and prepping them for the anticipated countdown to 2011. With only 10 seconds left in 2010, she lead the countdown to midnight followed by raising her glass and toasting the packed club and wishing everyone a Happy New Year. There was no special kiss for her at midnight, but did hug the close friends that surrounded her.
Mario Lopez rang in the New Year with girlfriend Courtney Maza at Eva Longoria’s Eve nightclub in Crystals at CityCenter. Prior to the New Year’s Eve countdown, the actor dined at Longoria’s adjoining steakhouse, Beso, with a party of 10.
Following their dining experience, Lopez and his party made their way up to the nightclub where they partied in Eve’s newly designed VIP section, sipping cocktails and dancing the night away. Just before the stroke of midnight Lopez led the crowd in a midnight countdown and champagne toast, welcoming 2011 and officially celebrating the one year anniversary of the opulent nightclub. Lopez and Maza also shared a romantic New Year's kiss.
Lopez later walked the red carpet, posing for photos with Maza and commenting on fatherhood, saying enthusiastically, that so far parenting has been amazing and he cannot wait to have more children.
The grand opening of Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas was held on New Year’s Eve. Acclaimed global superstar DJ Erick Morillo kicked off the night with a set in the club's Main Room and led the countdown to 2011, while Interscope's Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre got the party started in the club's VIP room with DJ Ross One.
Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub
Photo credit: Al Powers
Deryck Wibley (center) with friends
Photo credit: Al Powers
EC Twins
Photo credit: Al Powers
Kaskade
Photo credit: Al Powers
After the JAY-Z and Coldplay private concert in the event center, the celebrities descended en masse to the new mega club for a historic opening. Kellan Lutz, who showed up wearing a black eye mask to avoid the Twi-Hards lined up outside to see him, settled into a table in Marquee's Main Room next to Wilmer Valderamma. 50 Cent arrived with friend Floyd Mayweather Jr., who was in anything but a fighting mood, and the two were seen dancing to music by DJ Erick Morillo before heading downstairs to the VIP room. Channing Tatum and wife Jenna Dewan, Haylie Duff and boyfriend Nick Zano, Christina Milian, Abigail Spencer Pruitt, James Marsden, Jamie Kennedy, Jessica Szohr, Deryck Whibley, Jeremy Piven and Mark Salling were also spotted dancing in the Main Room.
The 60,000 square feet club filled up to a capacity crowd of nearly 3000 people quickly and the VIP room, also known as The Boom Box was taken over by the superstar rapper JAY-Z and rock band Coldplay and their famous friends. It was so packed with A-list celebrities that you couldn't take two steps without bumping into a Grammy winner. Rihanna and Diddy came by to party with JAY-Z, Beyonce, Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow, who all held court at a center table with views of the Las Vegas Strip. Kanye West and John Mayer, who surprised the crowd with performances earlier in the night at the resort’s grand opening concert, were also spotted at the exclusive after-party, as were Alex Rodriguez and girlfriend Cameron Diaz, Forest and Keisha Whitaker, Mark Wahlberg and wife Rhea Durham, Ellen Pompeo, Kirsten Dunst, Kings of Leon's Jared Followill, Kelly Slater, Olivia Munn, Whitney Port and Emmanuelle Chriqui.
Celebrities looking for a more relaxed scene flocked to the club's third floor called The Library Room. Ashley Olsen enjoyed cocktails with boyfriend Justin Bartha early on, while Jared Leto showed up later in the night, following his 30 Second To Mars performance at The Palms. Magician David Copperfield and Dylan Lauren also enjoyed the vibe in the Library Room. Meanwhile, Mark Anthony and his wife Jennifer Lopez took over a table with 25 of their friends and family members and danced up a storm with pal Leah Remini. At one point, Anthony stole the club photographer's camera and started taking photos of Lopez who was playfully posing for him, while a few feet away Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine and Blake Lively were spotted dancing together on a banquette late into the night.
JAY-Z was spotted pouring glasses for friends including Gayle King. Solange Knowles did a special DJ set for her sister and brother-in-law and fellow DJ Samantha Ronson grabbed the mic to wish everyone a Happy New Year. At approximately 2:30 am Kanye West continued to surprise guests when he took over the mic in the DJ booth and treated them to an impromptu performance. Soon after, Diddy ordered a bottle of Ciroc for every table in the room as he requested his new hit "Ass on the Floor". Then JAY-Z joined Kanye in the booth .JAY-Z wished everyone a Happy New Year and the two started singing West's hit song, "Runaway" then their joint hit called "Monster". West and Jay-Z were then joined by Rihanna in a sing-along to her hit song, "What's My Name".
Following JAY-Z and West's second performance of the evening, JAY-Z asked comedian Aziz Ansari to join them in the DJ booth and entertain the crowd with a "New Years Eve joke." Ansari said no, but he would not relent and eventually Ansari took the mic and got a few laughs but not before JAY, Kanye and Rihanna were joined by Beyonce in the booth at which point JAY stopped the music to wish happy new year to everyone in the room and to his wife "B". The party wound down after 5:00 AM on New Year’s Day but not before Diddy and his girlfriend Cassie made a final stop to say hi to his friend Erick Morillo in the main room’s DJ booth. It was a star-studded beginning to a New Year and a historic grand opening for Marquee Las Vegas that has once again set the bar for the club business.
On the first day of 2011…
Marquee Nightclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas wrapped up a grand opening weekend with the New Year’s Day debut of Resident DJ Kaskade. The EC Twins opened before handing over the stage to Kaskade who came on to cheers from the crowd and played for nearly eight hours.
UFC President Dana White and friends took over a VIP table in the main room.
Spotted downstairs in the Boom Box room were Kirsten Dunst, Deryck Whibley, Gayle King and Tron’s Garret Hedlund.
Gayle King and Deb Grimmel
Photo Credit: Al Powers
Glee’s Mark Salling arrived with a group of friends and took over a table in the Boom Box room.
After hosting at LAVO, Wilmer Valderrama stopped by Marquee around 4 am and commanded a dance floor table.
Jamie Kennedy
Photo Credit: Al Powers
Wilmer Valderrama
Photo Credit: Al Powers
Wilmer Valderrama hosted a post fight party at LAVO. The actor and a large group of family and friends including Jamie Kennedy dined at the Italian eatery before heading upstairs to the nightclub where Wilmer hopped into the DJ booth for a special one hour set with DJ Vice.
At TAO music video director Hype Williams, who is directing Kim Kardashian’s video for her new single was spotted dining at the Asian bistro with his girlfriend.
UFC fighter Gray Maynard hosted an after-fight party at Studio 54 inside MGM Grand following his rematch against Frankie Edgar at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The highly anticipated UFC 125 fight ended in a draw, but Maynard (“The Bully”) had much to celebrate as he was joined by fellow fighters, friends and fans to party the night away at the hot nightspot.
Gray Kaynard and Rusty Molinski
Photo credit: Judy Eddy/ WENN
Gray Kaynard
Photo credit: Judy Eddy/ WENN
Maynard hit the red carpet with fellow fighters from his Xtreme Couture fight team, Jay Hieron, Sean Spangler, Martin Kampmann, Tyson Griffin and coach Gil Martinez. Good friend and wakeboarding pro Rusty Malinoski also joined Maynard on the carpet.
Jay Hieron, Sean Spangler, Gray Maynard, Gil Martinez
Photo credit: Judy Eddy/ WENN
Fresh from ringing in 2011 at LAX Nightclub the night before, Sean “Diddy” Combs was at it again as he continued the New Year weekend celebration at PURE Nightclub inside Caesars Palace. The hip hop icon arrived at the Las Vegas hotspot a little before 1 a.m. with his usual large entourage, including record producer Dallas Austin and rappers Too Short and Red Café.
Sean "Diddy" Combs
Photo credit: Scott Berry
Sean "Diddy" Combs
Photo credit: Scott Berry
Sean "Diddy" Combs
Photo credit: Scott Berry
Rock band Nickelback, made up of Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger and Daniel Adair, dined at Nove Italiano inside Palms Casino Resort.
Jeremy Stephens, mixed martial artist, partied at Moon Nightclub with friends.
Randy Couture, mixed martial artist, partied at ghostbar with friends.
LMFAO, electro-hop group consisting of Redfoo (Stefan Kendal) and Sky Blu (Skyler Gordy), performed at Rain Nightclub.
Sunday, January 2...
Dallas Austin, musician, songwriter and record producer, dined at N9NE Steakhouse inside Palms Casino Resort.
Tiesto, producer and DJ, dined at N9NE Steakhouse with friends.
Celebs wrapped up the holiday weekend and TAO and LAVO. Wilmer Valderrama and friends dined at TAO Asian Bistro.
Also dining at TAO was LMFAO’s SkyBlu with a group of friends Mel B, along with her husband dined with friends at LAVO, enjoying favorites from the kitchen before making their way up to the nightclub, where she took over a dance floor table, sipped Champagne and took photos with friends.
Valderrama and SkyBlu also hit LAVO where DJ Vice was spinning for a packed crowd that included Selita Ebanks, Omarion and DJ Afrojack.
SkyBlu, who donned sparkly red shows with his Party Rock attire, gave an impromptu performance that last about 15 minutes, as did Omarion who sang on the mic for a bit, even wowing the crowd with a back flip in the middle of the dance floor. Not to be outdone, Afrojack did a quick break dance move for the crowd.
Selita Ebanks, who arrived around 2am danced and hung out with friend AJ Calloway.