Alternative-lifestyles club opens on Strip

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2004 | 7:52 a.m.

It's bold, it's sassy, it's exotic, it's gay and it's on the Strip.

Krave, the much-ballyhooed alternative lifestyles nightclub, made its debut Saturday at the site of the former Blue Note Las Vegas jazz club, which closed in January 2003.

"Every major metropolitan city in the United States has similar clubs," owner Sia Amiri said, "but we are going over the top. It's elaborate and chic and it will attract a mixed crowd."

One of the highlights of the club will be the 90-minute production "Fashionistas," which premieres today. The show, created by John Stagliano, is described as "a fetish tale of eroticism about a famed fashion designer, destined to change the world of fashion forever."

Following the 8 p.m. performance of "Fashionistas" on Fridays through Sundays, fans can dance to music by DJs while magicians, professional dancers, acrobats and other entertainers perform on platforms around the room.

Event producer Jeffrey Sanker, called by Amiri "the high priest of gay parties," is creating several Saturday-night promotional events to make the public aware of Krave.

Amiri describes the fans he expects to frequent the club as "omni-sexual."

"We will cater to straights as well as to those of alternative lifestyles gays, lesbians, bisexuals."

There are other alternative-lifestyle clubs scattered around Vegas, but none as lavish as Krave, and none of them are on the Strip.

"Those clubs are mostly for the local gay establishment," Amiri said. "This is more toward the international. But it is for locals as well as tourists."

And for heterosexuals.

"There is a social movement that is going on across the country, one that sees mixed crowds," Amiri said. "It's happening all over -- in New York, in Los Angeles. This club will be a leading part of that movement."

Amiri spent $10 million on Krave.

"You won't find a place this elaborate in Los Angeles," he said.

Amiri, a native of Iran, got his start in the nightclub business in Los Angeles. While he was attending college to become an electrical engineer and working on his MBA in business he worked in restaurants.

Since 1970 Amiri has owned many nightclubs in Southern California, some straight and some gay. He is perhaps best known for starting RAGE in 1983, West Hollywood's landmark gay bar that was one of the most popular nightspots in town in the '80s. He has since sold his interest in the club.

Amiri moved to Las Vegas in January 2003 to open Prana, a nightclub at the Aladdin. While working on Prana he came up with the idea for Krave.

"I realized there was a big gap in Vegas for a venue that caters to alternative lifestyles, so I started looking for a location," Amiri said.

That was about the time the Blue Note closed after two disastrous years brought about, in part, by the location -- while the club is attached to the Aladdin, at East Harmon Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard, it's not part of the facility. Customers can only enter the club from the street.

Amiri doesn't consider the location a problem.

"For our purposes, it's a positive," he said. "We're a free-standing building, sort of. We have a valet next door for parking at Desert Passage. We have ample parking for 300 cars downstairs."

Krave combines a number of elements: the production show, dance club, bar and a restaurant, E.A.T.

Until the venue is running at full capacity, there are limited hours.

While "Fashionistas" will be performed from 8 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, the nightclub will only be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for dancing that begins after the show and continues until early morning.

Mondays through Thursdays, Krave's bar area will be open after the show, but there will be no dancing. Those who attend the performance may use the bar or dine at the restaurant.

The restaurant features an American fusion menu and on weekends is open until 8 a.m. Other nights it is open until midnight.

The overall capacity of Krave is 1,570, but for the production show the seating capacity is only 500.

There is a $10 cover charge for locals and $20 charge for others.

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