Las Vegas club On the Record adds sizzle with Silk Sonic parties
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With its record store theme, intimate spaces and hidden Vinyl Parlor bar, On the Record is the closest thing to an underground nightclub on the Las Vegas Strip (not including actually underground stalwart Drai’s After Hours).
The Park MGM speakeasy-ish spot waited a bit longer to reopen than other casino clubs, finally coming back to life in July 2021. Since then it has been bringing back all the right vibes, boosted by hip-hop DJs and the energetic return of its Industry Wednesdays party, which hosted R&B faves 112 on May 11.
In recent months, On the Record has been delivering extra sizzle by hosting afterparties for the Silk Sonic residency show at Dolby Live across the casino floor.
“Those afterparties really brought it to the next level, at least in getting attention and people noticing what’s going on there,” says DJ Peter Shalvoy, who regularly spins from the double decker bus on the OTR patio, where he’ll next be on May 17. “There couldn’t be a better fit. It’s like the planets aligned; it’s just perfect.”
A New Yorker based in Vegas for 10 years after first hitting the Strip to spin at the original, clubby Blue Ribbon restaurant at the Cosmopolitan, Shalvoy has been on the roster at On the Record since it opened toward the end of 2018. Although the venue is the brainchild of LA hospitality siblings Mark and Jonnie Houston, OTR’s musical direction—currently booked by MAC Agency founder and DJ Eddie McDonald—has always had an East Coast influence, including a bit of Golden Age hip-hop sensibility.
On the Record has hosted afterparties for other headlining shows—from Lady Gaga to Janet Jackson to Aerosmith—but the throwback soul joyfully performed by Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak during their An Evening With Silk Sonic engagement is a natural culture fit. And there’s a chance to catch the stars at the afterparty; Paak has previously DJ’d in the Vinyl Parlor after Dolby Live shows.
“It’s just a great vibe; everyone is having fun, and then Anderson comes in and brings the energy and that big smile to the room,” Shalvoy says. “There’s no pretension at all. I cherish those nights and look forward to them.”
SelvaRey Rum, a spirit co-owned by Mars, sponsors the parties and last week launched an additional experience, the SelvaRey After Party Lounge, at Park MGM’s nearby Juniper Cocktail Lounge. And with Usher relocating his Strip residency to Park MGM from Caesars Palace—starting on July 15—expect the resort’s post-show buzz to continue to grow.
Usher himself has attended multiple Silk Sonic shows at Park MGM, and John Legend, who recently kicked off his own Vegas residency at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood, is a huge fan.
“I’ve known Anderson for quite a while, and we’ve collaborated. And Bruno is so exceptionally gifted, it’s great seeing them together,” Legend recently told the Weekly. “Bruno was already hugely popular, and Anderson was kind of an underground love a lot of musicians and cool kids had, but seeing him blossom in this setting with that platform Bruno already had, and seeing the great music they made together has been so fun to watch.”
ON THE RECORD Park MGM, 702-730-6773, ontherecordlv.com. Wednesday, Friday & Saturday, 10 p.m.-close.
An award-winning writer who has been living and working in Las Vegas for more than 20 years, Brock Radke covers ...
