Oooo la la Le Rêve

It doesn't matter if you prefer men or women...or even creatures!  Le Rêve meaning "The Dream" in French is worth seeing no matter where you are sitting.  The acrobatics and special effects transcend you into your own dream and fantasy, and keep you wondering just exactly what is going to pop up next from that tank full of a million gallons of water!  From the love story and slap stick humor, Le Rêve is one of the best shows on the strip!  One minute a performer dives more than 100 feet into water then huge objects like tables and chairs fall from the sky with a gigantic puppet woman accompanied by red high heels doing a synchronized swim!  This chaos flows nicely with the whole production.  There is so much to see at one time, but I will admit the men of Le Rêve made the whole show worth seeing!  I highly recommend this show playing at the Wynn Hotel and Casino in the Wynn Theater.  You won't regret it!

Matt Goss show at Caesar's Palace

The Matt Goss show at Caesar’s Palace Hotel and Casino was one good night!  If you like the feeling of a lounge with a live band and entertainment, this is the show for you!  Even though he isn’t gay, I’m sure anyone can appreciate a beautiful English man.  What would a show at Vegas be without show girls?  Even with the show girls Matt’s seductive voice steals the show and your heart.  I recommend this show because even after the show is over, they invite you to stay for when the DJ hits the stage so you can dance the night away!

One night at Eve...

Eva Longoria's Nightclub "Eve" located inside Crystals at City Center was a fun night!  Eve was having a contest and giving out free Britney Spears tickets as well as having a text promotion with FREE entry and 2 FREE drinks.  We couldn't say NO!  The music was bumpin' with a mix of "throw back" hip hop songs projected on screens hanging in a circle above the dance floor!
Eva knows how to mix some drinks because the bartenders were very gracious throughout the night which added to the sexy go go dancers in lace and white chandeliers.
Who doesn't love Eva Longoria? Now you can feel even closer to her dancing the night away in her club!

Mother Monster Haus Party

The Belvedere drinks were flowing all night to Lady Gaga's newest album Born This Way.  Little monsters got what they always dreamt of...an entire night dedicated to Mother Monster!  From the Judas motorcycle photo booth to the specialty "Heavy Metal Lover" cocktail, little monsters rejoiced together to Gaga hits all night long.  The Boulevard Pool at the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino was the home of this extravaganza!

Las Vegas was one of few cities to have the honor to host the Official Born this Way Launch Party!  Gaga is not a stranger to Las Vegas with her multiple concert dates and surprise appearances at the local Gay clubs.  We admire and love her for everything she does...Viva Las Gaga!

Take a shot of ABSINTHE...

The experience of Absinthe started as soon as you walked into the outdoor beer garden area. The ambiance was something similar to a makeshift village/adult playground with mini shuffleboard, beanbag toss and burger food truck. The mismatched furniture and random seating included bathtubs made into couches and a plank of wood that also functioned as a table. Everything was so random that it made sense and the beer garden/bar area tied in nicely sitting under a row of tents. It felt like you were transcended into another world of an under ground circus…and this is before the show even started!

Walking into the tent it was easy to feel you were someplace you weren’t supposed to be. The wooden floors and rows of wooden chairs gave the feeling you had just entered an illegal underground showing of something. The main stage could not have been bigger than 7-8 feet in diameter located in the center of the audience with a side stage off to the side for the hosts. The acts ranged from comedy to serious acrobatics that made you cringe. My favorite was a couple who did a roller skating act on the small platform in which the female was spun around by her arms, legs, and neck at a very fast and uncomfortable speed. Before the act even went on stage, the audience was warned not to stand up or leave during the performance to avoid getting hit. This made the act of a woman being flung around at a very fast speed exciting yet scary!

From the beginning you knew this was not the show to bring your grandmother to, the raunchy and provocative humor kept you guessing what was about to come next. I must say the scantily clad outfits definitely added to the ambiance of Absinthe taking you through this hallucination and fantasy world. The description hit the nail on the head, a “Cirque Du Soleil” mashed up with “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” The host of the evening encouraged crowd involvement with racy humor and uncomfortable situations. He pulled two random men from the crowd and tempted them with a shot of Absinthe to kiss all the while taking racy stabs at the men and the audience.

Other acts included stand up dirty comedy involving puppets, sexy suspension acts with an element of contortionism, and the grand finale of a balancing act about 8 feet above the audience. This finale included a keg stand on top of a platform that was on the shoulders of 2 men on the tightrope! You can hear the audience clenching and gasping knowing that if something went wrong the audience would be in trouble.

The intimate and thrilling setting made the show what it is, you didn’t know what was coming next, and at any time you could have seen something that maybe was not intended. If you are looking for something different and fun you should take a shot of Absinthe and enjoy the ride. Las Vegas took a chance and the curiosity of travelers is worth the experience. Located outside of Caesars Palace next to Serendipity 3, you won’t be able to miss the eclectic vibe coming from the garden and Absinthe…Vegas Travelers it’s up to you…will you feed your curiosity?

Eduardo Cordova does it again!

If Closet Sundays, Sundanze, and Tigerheat Saturdays weren’t enough, Eduardo Cordova just set out on a new venture. As the premier LGBT promoter in Las Vegas, he's created another recipe for success, and this time is serving it up with Sunkissed Sundays Pool Party & Brunch” at “Gossip”, the pool at Rumor Boutique Hotel. Not far from the strip, this pool party features hot DJs spinning in a more intimate and private setting compared to the huge hotels on Las Vegas Blvd. The Miami meets Palm Springs vibe is not only a pool party, but a brunch with great food from “Addiction” the restaurant at Rumor, and bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Marys from the bar. If that isn’t a formula for a Sunday Funday then I don’t know what is!

Oh wait! Did we forget to mention that Eduardo Cordova is also bringing back “Heaven” at the Bare Pool and Lounge at the Mirage Hotel and Casino? Season 2 is here and this nighttime pool party kicked off its inaugural event last Saturday. The first monthly pool party of the season featured smokin’ DJ Chris Cox and a special performance by Erika Jayne. Even the California Boys joined the Vegas party by bussing the Hottest West Hollywood Guys over to Heaven to get a taste of how we do it in Vegas!

“Sunkissed and Heaven” are two premier pool parties from Eduardo Cordova who introduced the first successful gay night at a casino in Las Vegas. And Eduardo is tremendously admired by many for his contributions to the Las Vegas LGBT Community and his efforts to raise the standard of partying as we know it. Thanks to Eduardo Cordova you can get “Sunkissed”, come out of the “Closet Sundays”, party at “Sundanze” then turn up the “Tigerheat” all the way to “Heaven” at the end of the week and REPEAT! For Eduardo the sky is the limit and he is reaching new heights everyday!

Ra Ra-ah-ah-ah Roma Roma-ma RAJA RAJA AH! The Best Drag Queen!!!

Ladies and Lady-boys I am proud to announce America’s next Drag Superstar is none other than RAJA! Sutan Amrull by day and Raja by night from the first episode when she strutted in with a Cyclops hat to her final walk with the 18inch crown mounted on her slicked back wig. Who could forget her Marie Antoinette look, Carrie look, and my personal favorite the African Warrior Fierceness!

Raja has taken drag leaps and bounds and pushed the limits even when critics and other drags called her a boy in makeup. Raja stayed true to herself and what she wanted to represent, which are the kids who want to express themselves and break the rules. Raja has redefined the art of drag as we know it…

Thirty six year old Raja doesn’t look a day past FABULOUS and many knew from episode one that she was going to take the crown. You Gay Vegas Travelers will see Raja the drag superstar in the flesh along with Manila Luzon and Delta Work come May 1^st at Eduardo Presents: Closet Sundays in Revolution Lounge at the luxurious Mirage Hotel and Casino.

The Race is Almost Over!

Who’s going to take the giant crown and cash prize and who is going to sashay away? It is down to the final three drag queens on Ru Paul’s Drag Race. Raja, Manila Luzon and Alexis Mateo, two of them will be lip-syncing for their life to take the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar. If you have been watching this season it is obvious who the two front runners in the competition are. Alexis Mateo simply cannot touch Manila Luzon yet alone Raja herself. Manila and Raja have been the judges’ favorites and dominated both in style and fierceness!

Looking back on the highlights of this season, there were a lot of firsts and I’m not just talking about Mimi Imfurst! Ru Paul brought back Shangela from season two for another whack at the competition, but her personality and “Halleloo-ing” didn’t quite make it…maybe next season Shangela! She wasn’t the only lucky one, with a judge’s vote Carmen Carrera was brought back after she had been eliminated…only to be eliminated once again that same episode.

Who could forget the dragtastic lip-syncing that took place this season. Some of the best and most busted lip-syncing thanks to India Ferrah and Mimi Imfurst who made lip-syncing a contact sport when Mimi picked up India and carried her up the stairs! O HELL NO! One of my personal favs would be Delta Work and Manila Luzon lip-syncing McArthur’s Park, with Manila’s performance in her Big Bird look-a-like outfit. Even though she will never have the recipe again…that performance solidified Manila in the top three!

The race is drawing to a close and I honestly cannot predict what will happen in the season finale! I just hope I don’t experience the same upset like the past 2 season winners. It is time for someone deserving who embodies charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent… If Raja or Manila takes the crown then you have the pleasure of seeing the season three winner along with Delta Work on May 1^st! All the Heathers, minus Carmen, will be performing at Closet Sundays at Revolution Lounge in the Mirage Hotel and there’s no doubt in my mind they will be working it like the rent is due tomorrow. Us Vegas fans are lucky to be in the City of Entertainment come Sunday…can I get an AMEN!?

Gaga Surprise Concert

I’m sure we all know that Lady Gaga’s concert was on March 25^th. But not everyone knew about LADY GAGA’S surprise visit to KRAVE Nightclub on March 24^th the day before her concert! Information was subtle hinting that there would be a “Special performance for you Little Monsters.” As we all anxiously waiting at 1 am to see if the rumors were true, infamous Britney Spears impersonator Derrick Barry warmed up the crowd with his Gaga look alike horns performing to “Born this Way.”

It was then when Gaga’s dancers took the stage we knew it was TRUE! Lady Gaga was less than 10 feet away striking a pose when we heard “It doesn’t matter if you love him or capital H.I.M.” The gays went CRAZY! Gaga worked the crowd singing to her Little Monsters with our paws in the air. The performance was a blur after Gaga reached out and grabbed my hand and put the microphone to my mouth. It was then and only then…my life was complete!

The song ended but the crowd just got started. Lady Gaga thanked her fans for making the song “Born this Way” #1 and then she blew a kiss and ran off stage. The crowd was left in awe! I then turned to my friends and we basked in the moment of being touched by Lady Gaga!

This isn’t the first time Gaga did a surprise appearance at a local nightclub, it is typically of her to do these before she has a concert scheduled. This experience only spoke to me more about Gaga’s humility and true passion for entertaining. A free appearance tells me that she really cares about her “Little Monsters” and I thank capital H.I.M. I was “Born this Way”

Don't be a drag...just be a queen!"

Ever since 10:30am when I woke up, I have been listening to Lady Gaga’s new song “Born This Way” on repeat. I am positive I am not alone, the song was officially released at 6:00 AM February 11^th; die hard Little Monsters have been spamming Facebook ever since the release. This long awaited song just might be the new anthem for the gays and Little Monsters everywhere. Now I love Lady Gaga and I was definitely not disappointed in any way. I will admit I was a little surprised by how fast and upbeat it was. Ever since Lady Gaga previewed the song at the MTV Music Video awards, I personally was under the impression it would be a lot slower. Nevertheless I can’t wait to hear this song everywhere and to be able to chant my favorite line of the song, “Don’t be a drag…just be a queen!”

There’s a lot of talk that this song is very reminiscent of the popular 80’s Madonna song “Express Yourself.” My response is…”WHO CARES” its Gaga and she can do no wrong! When she released the picture on twitter of this new song, I could only imagine how amazing it would be. On her website she has a lioness look to her with her bottom eyeliner and crazy hair! My prediction for the video is that she is born again into something crazy maybe a unicorn or gay man? Which would be signifying that it is ok and God made you that way! I am counting down the days until she returns to Sin City, and I’m praying she incorporates “Born This Way” into the tour even though it is still the “Monster Ball.” MGM Hotel and Casino will be full of Little Monsters come March 25^th waiting to hear the voice of their “Queen!” I will be one of those Little Monsters with my paws up in the air!

There’s a Very Special Guy Coming to Town!

His name is Carlos Melia and he’s one of the world’s most popular LGBT travel writers and bloggers. Carlos has been an independent Travel Agent for more than 20 years and travels all over the world to review the hottest gay cities, and this week he’s in our town!

He specializes in Argentina, New York City and Uruguay and this will be the first time he’s blogged about Las Vegas. He’ll be checking out Le Reve at Encore, Krave, Piranha, Marquee at Cosmopolitan, Rumor among other Las Vegas gay favorites. Carlos says the theme of his blog is Been There Done That and he plans to personally experience, test and approve as much of Gay Vegas as he can over the next two days.

Former Mr Gay International 2008, and current member of the Board of Directors for Mr Gay World, Carlos says “I work along the main LGBT organizations worldwide, in pro of our rights and to assure everyone that indeed It will be Better.”

Take a look at the photo above and if you see Carlos (he’s so cute, he’ll be hard to miss!) in any of our day spots or night spots over the next few days, show him a real Las Vegas welcome, because that’s the message we hope he’ll share with his thousands of followers all over the world. Also check out the GayVegasTravel.com Social Feed to read Carlos’ daily review of Las Vegas.

And don't forget that as a GayVegasTravel.com member, you can email Carlos with your suggestions as to things he can do while in town (maybe hang out with you!).

All The President's Men Coming to Blush

“Wynn Las Vegas and Encore are designed to be explored and discovered, to excite the senses of each and every guest.” This will all be true come President’s Day weekend when the Wynn and Encore open their arms and doors to the LGBT Community and host a very gay weekend! The Wynn and Encore hotels are not strangers to the gay community; they stand strong being LGBT friendly, providing not only luxurious amenities but a staff of Pride concierges, (the only hotel on the Las Vegas Strip to do so).

The “All the President’s Men Party” will be hosted at the fabulous Blush Boutique Nightclub on Sunday, February 20, with DJ Lisa Pittman and DJ Axis spinning the hits! Now I’ve been to a few nightclubs here and there, but I’ve never noticed how great a DJ could be, until DJ Lisa Pittman rocked my world! Her mixes and transitions are sick and will keep you dancing “FA DAYS!”

Did I almost forget to mention that locals and hotel guests will receive free admission and there will be a hosted vodka and tequila bar from 10:30-11:30 pm! If that wasn’t enough to get you to the hottest place on the strip come the 20^th, I don’t know what else will... So Mr. Presidents I will be attending and saluting while I dance and wave the flag with PRIDE!

More Reasons to say Oui! Oui!

Need more options when it comes to finding a place to party? It's Vegas…of course you do! Paris Hotel welcomes the newest mega club "Chateau Nightclub and Gardens at Paris." Scheduled to open its doors March 5th, this nightclub will put you in the romantic mood with a 10,000 square-foot terrace over looking the Strip. According to the Las Vegas Sun, "The club includes 20,000 square feet outdoors in a garden setting under the Eiffel Tower replica."

With all the construction going on in front of the Paris, I'm definitely excited to see this new club and the huge Sugar Factory store right next to it! In my opinion it is about time the Paris hotel got a hip nightclub and with Drake set to host opening night, you know this is going to be the place to be!

What I am looking forward to the most is the view of the Strip. The Paris Hotel is across the street from the famous Bellagio Fountains, so I hope the view is extravagant. What could be better than enjoying the Vegas night air, sipping on a cocktail watching the fountain show with some friends? This could be better than one night in Gay Paree!

“Gentlemen Start Your Engines! All NEW… All RU… ALRIGHT!”

The racers are back for a brand new season of Ru Paul’s Drag Race! The first episode premiered on Logo January24th, and it certainly did not disappoint. The queens are fierce and Ru Paul is all to thank for it. I got an opportunity to preview all the queens on the casting special which got me pumped for this premier! Guest judge Vanessa Williams graced the show with her presence along with Mike Ruiz for the traditional first photo shoot. This season the girls had to strike a pose while jumping on a trampoline, praying nothing fell off or out! Strong impressions were made by Raja who won both the photo shoot and the thrift store challenge. A new twist this season involved Ru Paul’s Drag Race season 2, Shangela Laquifa Wadley returning to the race for a second chance! This second chance was almost short lived when Shangela had to lip-sync for her life, until Ru told Venus D-Lite a queen from the open casting call, to sashay away.

This season is literally bigger and better than ever! We got some big personalities and a little more to love this season, with 2 big girls representing. Mimi Imfurst, who had the first breakdown of the season due to her outfit, served it in the end doing her own version of the Virgin Mary. A personal favorite would be Manila Luzon all the way from New York, New York! We will just have to wait and see who is serving it this season! Mondays may be a drag but it will have you talking until the next week! Be sure to tune into Logo and may the best woman WIN!

And if we’re lucky the queens will come to Las Vegas again, like they did last year. What fun it was to meet Tyra Sanchez, Raven and the others. That’s the cool part about Las Vegas, EVERYONE comes here, we really are the hottest place on earth to be!