Why wait until the weekend to party?
It’s a question as old as humankind itself.
Thankfully, we don’t have to worry about such concerns here in Las Vegas, where the good times roll every night of the week.
Where to begin?
Right here with this handy guide to some of the city’s best weekday parties.
Strip
Monday
Monday Night Fever at Clique Bar & Lounge, The Cosmopolitan
Marquee Nightclub’s “Marquee Mondays” industry nights have been, well, the industry standard for early week revelry in Vegas for years now. But if you’re into something a little less crowded and more funky, stay on the property, lace up those boogie shoes, check out the disco-themed “Monday Night Fever” party at Clique Bar & Lounge, and don’t stop until you get enough.
Tuesday
Omnia, Caesars Palace
What’s even more rare than seeing Steve Aoki keep his shirt for an entire set? Seeing him perform on a Tuesday. Yet he and other big-name DJs do just that at one of the city’s most lavish mega-clubs — the giant, eight-ringed, 22,000-pound kinetic chandelier has to be seen to be believed — which has been owning Tuesday nights for a minute now.
Wednesday
“R&Bae Wednesdays” at Hakkasan, MGM Grand
Slow jams and fast times commingle at one of the few weekly R&B parties on the Strip at this labyrinthine nightspot that spans five levels. The well-traveled DJ Franzen oversees a smooth-as-silk-sheets mix of old-school favorites and contemporary bangers. To borrow a line from Usher — or maybe it was Lil Jon — “Yeah!”
Thursday
“Yacht Rock Night” at Caspian’s Rock & Roe, Caesars Palace
Come sail away on the high seas of musical cheese via the exquisitely tacky “Yacht Rock Night” at Caspian’s Rock & Roe, where a live band supplies the Air Supply in a hidden speakeasy decorated like a rich mermaid’s bachelorette pad. Order some caviar with a side of Pringles and start memorizing the lyrics Toto’s “Africa,” posthaste.
Off Strip
Monday
Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns at the Bootlegger Italian Bistro, 7700 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Two Vegas institutions unite when jazz-funk fireballs Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns light up the Copa Room at the Bootlegger Bistro. The latter has been a local staple since the early ’70s — Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., to name but a few, all used to hang here — the former has been a similarly popular draw for over two decades now and remains one of the city’s can’t-miss live acts.
Tuesday
“Drinks and Dragons” at the Red Dwarf, 1305 Vegas Valley Drive
Fight a dwarf at the Red Dwarf — or role-play, at least — at this popular biweekly “Dungeons & Dragons” gathering where druids and orcs meet beer and Detroit-style pizza, just as J.R.R. Tolkien must have imagined it back in the day. There are no sign-ups here; just bring your dice — and maybe a battle-ax, your call. On the Tuesdays the games don’t take place, show up here anyway, as there’s never a cover at this always jumpin’ punk-meets-tiki bar.
Wednesday
“Cora Vette Sings Spicy Songs” at The Golden Tiki, 3939 Spring Mountain Road
With a tongue as sharp as a wheelbarrow full of broken glass and a voice as inviting as a warm bath, Cora Vette (aka Reyna Von Vett) contrasts a sailor’s mouth with a siren’s come-hither singing. She heats up Hump Day with some spicy songs that are sexy, fun and just might make you blush a little — but not her. Definitely not her.
Thursday
“Atomic Mayhem”/“TV Party Tonight” at the Double Down Saloon, 4455 Paradise Road
Like MTV, but with way more Bacon Martinis and optional (but recommended) puke insurance, this video jukebox party at the Double Down Saloon kicks out the jams with nonstop videos on nine TVs spanning punk, garage rock, new wave, rockabilly, ska and more. And one Thursday a month, the same crew also hosts the “TV Party Tonight” film series, which answers the question: How do classics like “Anchorman,” “Zombieland” and “SLC Punk” get even better? When accompanied by a few shots, naturally.
Downtown
Monday
Pub Trivia at ReBar, 1225 S. Main St.
“Jeopardy!” meets “Antiques Roadshow” meets a fair amount of stuffed animal heads at the always raucous Pub Trivia night at this thrift store-meets-dive bar, which remains one of the few spots in town where you can score a $3 mystery shot and a vintage Alabama LP while turning random factoids into cash prizes if you come in first or second.
Tuesday
“Weekly Produce” at Audio Bar, 1020 S. First St., Suite 100
Catch some of Vegas’ most promising EDM up-and-comers at this open mic, er, open turntable night for DJ-producers. Come here to see rising talents before they graduate to the big clubs on the Strip and you have to cash in Junior’s college fund to cover the bar tab.
Wednesday
“Keys to Doberman” at the Doberman Drawing Room, 1025 S. First St.
With its elegant decor, elegant cocktails, elegant nibbles, etc., the Doberman Drawing Room sure packs on the elegance. So how does it get even elegant-ier? With its “Keys to Doberman” live cabaret series, where powerhouse vocalist Naomi Rose stuns in unison with her surroundings.
Thursday
“Boozy Bingo” at Corduroy, 515 Fremont St.
Definitely the most fun you can have with an ink dauber in hand — and a beer in the other — “Boozy Bingo” is always a blast as one of Vegas’ most irreverent game nights in a suitably rockin’ setting wallpapered in the pages of vintage music mags — hello, Krokus! The games are free, the shots are free (upon occasion), just show up and have a ball — or a couple dozen little plastic ones.
Contact Jason Bracelin at [email protected] or 702-383-0476. Follow @jasonbracelin76 on Instagram.