Friday, June 13, 2003 | 9:42 a.m.
Jerry Fink's lounge column appears on Fridays. Reach him at [email protected] at (702) 259-4058.
There can never be too many nightclubs in Las Vegas, the Lounge Capital of the World.
Two new ones recently held their grand openings -- the Tilted Kilt at The Rio and OPM in the Forum Shops at Caesars.
Both have strong restaurant connections -- Mark DiMartino (a partner in the Tilted Kilt) owns the Tillerman (renowned for its seafood), and Chef Wolfgang Puck (renowned for being Wolfgang Puck) is one of the partners in OPM.
But that's about all the two venues have in common. Otherwise, they are in sharp contrast, both in decor and purpose.
OPM, which is upstairs in Puck's Chinois restaurant, is competing with ultra-lounges popping up all over town (Tabu at MGM Grand and Risque at Paris Las Vegas, to name a couple).
Image is important here.
On the other hand, the Tilted Kilt is promoting a casual, everyone-is-welcome atmosphere.
The 8,000-square-foot OPM (which features three bars) was created by managing partner Michael Goodwin, who said the modern furnishings, exotic textures and soothing colors were "designed to make visitors from anywhere in the world feel comfortable" and to give guests "the complete nightlife experience."
Rotating DJ's create OPM's unusual blend of progressive funk, lounge and techno music on a dance floor enhanced by state-of-the-art sound, video and light system.
Diners can satisfy their late-night hunger with a Puck menu that includes sushi and exotic desserts, served until 3 a.m.
The club is open from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., Wednesdays through Saturdays. The cover charge is $10 on weekdays and $20 on weekends. Fashionable attire is required.
Unlike at OPM, at the Tilted Kilt you don't have to be fashionable.
"My original thought," DiMartino, the owner, said, "was to open a college beer bar.
"We were looking at locations around UNLV, but this room at The Rio became available and I pitched the Tilted Kilt idea."
He said the unusual name of the club just popped into his head.
"It's a fun name," DiMartino said. "When I first thought about the college bar idea, I envisioned the girls in kilts with knee-high socks. I figured the kids would love to go to the bar and see the girls dressed like that."
The room at The Rio was the site of the short-lived J.W.'s Tavern, which opened in September and closed a few months later.
"I envisioned a place where you could have a good time, drink beer and eat good bar food," DiMartino said.
There are 24 brands of beer at the full-service bar. Entertainment is pretty basic: four pool tables, dart boards and an Irish band Thursday nights.
But this isn't exactly an Irish pub. Kilts are Scottish. The decor is eclectic, including Irish, Scottish, English and American touches.
"It's a little bit of everything, a place to hang out and have a good time," DiMartino said.
Lounging around
Saxophonist Bill Trujillo, a Las Vegas musician since 1960, performs 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Thursdays at Murphy's Pub, 3985 E. Sunset Road. The veteran jazz man is accompanied by a trio of local legends: keyboardist Ronnie Di Fillips, drummer Bobby Joe Harrison and base player Dick Jones. Trujillo is an alumnus of the Woody Herman, Charlie Barnett and Stan Kenton big bands and the Bill Russo quintet.
The Royal Street Theater at Jerry's Nugget will feature a variety of entertainment this summer. Thursdays, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., the Huck Daniels Revue will perform R&B and rock 'n' roll from the '50s and '60s. Admission is a two-drink minimum.
On Fridays, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., the comedy of the Real Deal Soul Revue will be the featured entertainment. Real Deal performs R&B, Pop, Motown, disco, blues and jazz. There is no cover charge, but there is a two-drink minimum.
Saturdays will be the night for salsa, merengue and cumbia music, performed by Claudine Castro and her seven-piece band. Shows begin at 10:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for men and $5 for women, with a two-drink minimum.
Competition between exotic dancers from local adult cabarets is the featured entertainment at the Stratosphere's Wild Nights Pool Parties, held Thursdays through Aug. 28. Some of the clubs participating include Olympic Garden, Sapphire, Palomino and Pussycats. Competition includes water volleyball, water basketball, diving for dollars, karaoke and trivia contests.
The parties, which will also feature DJ music, are at the pool and recreation deck on the eighth floor of the hotel. They last from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. Admission is free for women and $10 for men. Women drink free from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Men get their first beer free.
Trombonist Walter Boenig leads the Brass Roots Quintet in a variety of music, from classical to contemporary, on Sunday, June 29, at 3 p.m. in the Reed Whipple Cultural Center's studio theater, 821 Las Vegas Blvd. North. Admission is free, but tickets are required and are available for pickup or by mail. Ticket holders must be seated 15 minutes prior to the concert or their tickets will be released on a first-come, first-served basis. Call (702) 229-6211 for information.
Joining Boenig are Rocky Lombardo and Tom Snelson on trumpet, Doug Beasley on horn and Dan Uhrich on tuba.
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