Sneak preview of new Hard Rock lounge grabs the governor

By Robin Leach

Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008 | 12:17 p.m.

With Nevada's fiscal picture in freefall and looking darker by the moment, our divorce-fraught Gov. Jim Gibbons has been burning the midnight oil, including at nightclubs here on the Strip! First, he was up-close to the octagon when he hit the $800-a-ticket celebrity zone of the UFC fight at Mandalay Bay and then turned up at Tao nightclub’s dance floor in the Venetian.

However, his latest Vegas foray that’s really raising eyebrows was a sneak preview that tattooed motocross champ Carey Hart gave for his new Wasted Space rock lounge at the Hard Rock! The governor was rubbing shoulders with his own motley crew that included wild boys Sully Erma from Godsmack, John Dolmayan of System of a Down, A.J. McLean from Backstreet Boys, plus Mindfreak magician Criss Angel, free-wheeling bachelor Matt Leinart of the Arizona Cardinals and actor Billy Zane.

Wasted Space is an "edgy, dark and dirty decadent rock club," according to Carey, who is partners with Good Charlotte’s twin brother rockers Benji and Joel Madden, along with New York Yankees baseball player Jason Giambi. It will celebrate its "locals" opening this Wednesday and its gala star-studded opening on Saturday with an acoustic rock set from Gwen Stefani’s husband, Gavin Rossdale. You’ll remember from Luxe Life last week that both Benji and Joel’s girlfriends, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, were there last weekend dancing up a storm!

Our Luxe Life photographer, Scott Doctor, took the architectural advance tour for these photos as Carey described the concept of his new lounge. Said Carey: "It's a lavishly decadent rock club that brings authentic high-end rock 'n' roll culture to Vegas, creating a one-of-a-kind nightlife experience. It's the only place in Vegas where you can truly get up-close and personal with rock legends, as well as the hottest new bands before they break." Obviously, it's the perfect spot for the troubled Nevada chief executive to hang while attempting to balance the fragile budget! No wonder one wag told me it reminded him of Nero on the fiddle while Rome was burning!

Carey continued: "I wanted a place where my peers and I could hang out, something edgy, dark and dirty but with a high-end feel. Wood floors, beautiful metal work and alligator skin seats. It's bringing back the old days of the late-night rock scene in Hollywood." I was told that Wasted Space is a key feature of the Hard Rock’s ongoing $750 million expansion and fills a void for the anti-club-goer -- someone who wants a sophisticated Vegas nightlife experience without the velvet rope dance music scene.

At 5,000 square feet, the club will hold between 400 and 500 people for an intimate, exclusive feel with the backstage atmosphere of a rock concert -- the perfect place for our head politico! Maybe he'll be back on Wednesdays for the "Mommy's Little Monster" industry night! Carey and Hard Rock's managing partner, Cory McCormack, designed the new joint with Zeff Design and created a 30-foot hand-made mural of vintage rock show posters with the signature winged microphone logo stenciled over them and hung above the bar.

The governor, who admits to a couple of glasses of wine occasionally over dinner, could have chosen either of the club's two signature drinks: the Hart Attack, named after Carey's famous record-breaking mid-air handstand on his 200cc motorbike, which consists of Jameson, Red Bull, cranberry and a Jagermeister float, or the Sunday Bloody Sunday, named after the legendary U2 song, which is Wasted's version of a Bloody Mary.

Nightlife aficionados have given kudos to Carey for creating something unique and original for the Vegas nightlife scene. He plans on it being open from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. every night except Monday. The only question now remaining is, where will the governor next take his late night groove?