Grand Prix headliners once played Strip ‘dayclub’ with no name
Let’s take a hot lap around the Two Friends Las Vegas Grand Prix:
Turn 1 — Linq Hotel pool.
Turn 2— Downtown Las Vegas Events Center.
Turn 3 — XS Nightclub at Wynn Las Vegas.
Turn 4 — Base of Sphere.
The longtime buddies and star DJs out of L.A. have run the course in VegasVille. The tandem of Matt Halper and Eli Sones are among the headliners Nov. 19 at the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix’s T-Mobile Stage in the T-Mobile Zone. This is the performance platform at the base of Sphere, with giant emoji Orbi looming in the background.
The race weekend runs Nov. 19-21. Electronic music duo/brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence of Disclosure (Nov. 20) and Jamaican dance-hall rapper Sean Paul (Nov. 21) join Two Friends as the weekend’s primary headliners.
Peppering the headlining lineup are Natasha Bedingfield, Gorgon City, Ja Rule, Collect 200 and DJ Mandy.
Ticket options available in the T-Mobile Zone at Sphere include the T-Mobile Grandstands, a three-day ticket with assigned seats in the T-Mobile Zone at Sphere; T-Mobile General Admission, a three-day ticket with standing-room-only views and access to viewing platforms on a first-come, first-served basis. Go to f1lasvegasgp.com/tickets for intel.
Halpern and Sones are actually two friends, teaming in high school to mix Halpern’s rock leanings with electronic-driven mashups. The duo has become a popular draw over the past decade, currently in the Wynn Nightlife stable, with shows set at Encore Beach Club at Night on Sept. 13 and Oct. 10 (with Charly Jordan as special guest).
EBC at Night is the after-dark club while XS Nightclub is being renovated through November.
But Two Friends’ introduction to the Strip was a decade ago at a less-traveled dayclub. Well, not actually a dayclub. It was Linq Hotel pool.
“We did a three-show mini residency deal with the Linq Hotel, and they had a pool,” Sones said during a dual Zoom chat with Halpern this week. “But to give you a sense of how different it is, from some of the you know the stuff we’re doing now, the pool wasn’t like a day club. It was just the pool.There was no name for it.”
And if you happened to be staying at the hotel and sitting by the pool, you happened to hear music played by a couple of DJs.
“We were so excited, and the liaison at the hotel was even bragging about how he got us for such a discount, ‘This is such a deal! I can’t believe it, this is the best deal we’ve ever made!’” Sones said.“He’s like, ‘Yeah, I can’t believe your agent said yes! We snagged you guys!’ He just dropped us off,‘Here’s the DJ booth, I’ll see you in a couple hours.’”
But the duo was thrilled to have a Las Vegas series on their resume. They seized the momentum for appearances at Madison Square Garden, Red Rocks in Colorado and The Forum in Los Angeles; along with such major festivals as Coachella, Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo.
In November 2025, Two Friends closed out the F1 counter-programming event Neon City Festival at Downtown Las Vegas Event Center. The 10:30 p.m. show drew a massive crowd for the free show. NCF was developed to draw a crowd in town for F1. It was also developed for locals trying to escape F1.
“We knew the whole genesis of that festival was it was F1 weekend and they wanted to give something to the local community and get away from the Strip,” Halpern said. “They did it downtown, and that was cool, because we actually hadn’t spent much time in that part of Vegas. Now we’re coming full circle and playing a show at F1.”
Halpern and Soles have performed at F1 races before, just not in Las Vegas.
“In the past few years we’ve had some fun shows, we’ve been involved with F1 Miami and we did F1 Austin,” Soles said. “Vegas is the last one for us in the U.S.”
Two Friends caught an international audience with viral remixes of The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside,” Blink 182’s “I Miss You,” and their award-winning Big Bootie Mix series. The Big Bootie mix blends several hits covering multiple genres, decades and styles.
“We released our 27th edition of Big Bootie Mix in May, we did a big premiere show in Chicago,called Big Bootie Land,” Halpern said. “We had a bunch of big shows earlier this year, and now we’reon to a dance project that we’ve been working really hard on the music for, and we’re rolling out for the back half of this year.”
The front half of this year also featured a Two Friends’ country era with the EP “Big Boots.” Halpern and Soles cut crossover singles “Under The Table” featuring Chris Lane, and “I Need Tomorrow” with Jake Banfield.
The idea is for Two Friends to make many friends.
“We just say, ‘Hey, come to a show, check it out for yourself,’” Soles said. “We’ve had a lot of fun over the years by getting to a lot of people. It could be like our parents’ friends, or this other artist that’s never seen a DJ set, but you like come to a show, check out what it’s all about. It’s a cool feeling to be able to open up the world a little bit to see what we’re like.”
Cool Hang Alert
Justin Carder & The Southern Language play Friday and Indie Florentino is Saturday at Caspian’sat Caesars Palace. These are two anchors at the Clique Hospitality venue. No cover but table reservations (which cost money) are available at caspianslv.com.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
What: T-Mobile Stage in the T-Mobile Zone at Sphere at F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
Saturday, Nov. 21
Sean Paul: Grammy Award-winning artist Sean Paul rose to global fame with chart-topping hits including "Get Busy" and "Temperature," helping bring dancehall music into the mainstream. Known for his signature sound and high-profile collaborations with artists including Beyoncé, Sia, Clean Bandit, Dua Lipa and David Guetta, he has remained a fixture on the international music scene for more than two decades.
Natasha Bedingfield: Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield first became a global pop phenomenon with her 2004 debut album Unwritten, which produced the UK No. 1 hit "These Words" and the multi-platinum anthem "Unwritten." Over the course of her career, she has earned billions of streams and built a catalog of era-defining hits. More than two decades into her career, Bedingfield is experiencing a remarkable new chapter. "Unwritten" has found a massive new generation of fans through film, television, social media and streaming, helping drive nearly 30 million monthly Spotify listeners and introducing her music to millions of younger listeners around the world. At the same time, she's looking firmly ahead with new music that will continue to showcase a confident, evolved artist blending the infectious pop songwriting she's known for with fresh, deeply personal themes about connection, growth and embracing every stage of life.
Friday, Nov. 20
Disclosure: Electronic music duo Disclosure has become one of dance music's most influential acts, blending house, garage, dubstep and bass into a signature sound that has captivated audiences worldwide. The English sibling duo broke through with the global hit "Latch" featuring Sam Smith and followed it with Grammy-nominated, chart-topping albums Settle and Caracal, collaborating with artists including The Weeknd, Mary J. Blige and AlunaGeorge. Most recently, Disclosure has continued its evolution with the independent album Alchemy and a string of new releases, including 2025's "NO CAP" featuring Anderson .Paak and 2026's "The Sun Comes Up Tremendous."
Gorgon City: Electronic music duo Gorgon City, comprised of Kye Gibbon and Matt Robson-Scott, have become one of house music's most influential acts, blending big-room energy with underground bass-driven sounds. The UK duo rose to global prominence with hits including "Ready For Your Love," "Imagination" and "Real Life," earning BRIT-certified singles, more than 1.5 billion streams and performances at renowned venues and festivals including Coachella, Glastonbury, Tomorrowland and Red Rocks Amphitheatre. With acclaimed albums including Sirens, Escape, Olympia, Salvation and Reverie, Gorgon City continues to shape the future of electronic music while remaining a staple of dance floors around the world.
Thursday, Nov. 19
Two Friends: Known for blending electronic dance music with pop influences, Two Friends has become one of dance music's premier crossover acts through original productions, viral remixes, and their award-winning Big Bootie Mix series. The duo has collaborated with artists including Bebe Rexha, Russell Dickerson, Loud Luxury, and Quinn XCII, earning a reputation as one of the genre's must-see live acts with performances spanning Madison Square Garden, Red Rocks, and The Forum, major festivals including Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Bonnaroo, and residencies at Wynn Las Vegas and LIV Miami.
Ja Rule: Known for his signature blend of hard-hitting rap and melodic R&B influences, Ja Rule rose to fame as the flagship artist of Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. Records, becoming one of hip-hop's most commercially successful artists of the early 2000s. He dominated the charts with hits including "Always on Time," "Livin' It Up," "Mesmerize" and "Wonderful," while collaborating with artists including Ashanti, Jennifer Lopez, R. Kelly and Mary J. Blige.
Tickets: Guests with ticketed experiences in the T-Mobile Zone at Sphere will have access to these performances, fan activations like T-Mobile Club Magenta offering premium views and exclusive perks for T-Mobile members, plus food and beverage available for purchase.
Ticket options available in the T-Mobile Zone at Sphere include:
T-Mobile Grandstands: Three-day ticket with assigned seats in the T-Mobile Zone at Sphere.
T-Mobile General Admission: Three-day ticket with standing-room-only views and access to viewing platforms on a first-come, first-served basis.
Information: f1lasvegasgp.com/tickets
Source: F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
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