Mix and Mingle

Think of LAX not only as a place to party. Think of it, also, as the hottest celebrity magnet in town.

LAX, at Luxor, 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. South, opened Labor Day weekend of 2007. And thanks to its unfailing party vibe and VIP booths that allow visibility to celebs who want it and privacy to those who don't, LAX has become one of Las Vegas' prime spots for watching the famous let their hair down.

Jonathan Spadafora, the club's general manager, says the 26,000-square-foot LAX holds about 1,500 people, but is "not a big, empty, cavernous space. There are a lot of nooks and crannies."

"And when you look at the design of the room, there are a lot of really rich textures," Spadafora says, including red leather seats, black wrought iron railings, 50-foot-tall curtains and 70 tables strong enough to withstand the occasional patter of dancing feet upon them.

"One thing we are extremely proud of is our lighting system. It's very state-of-the-art," Spadafora says, with touches "not found anywhere else on this side of the country."

The music menu is mostly house but remains liberal enough for anything else -- Top 40, hip-hop, rock 'n' roll -- that sounds intriguing.

"And we've done some live shows that are not typical of the nightclub experience, either," Spadafora says. "On Halloween, we had the lead singer from Korn doing what ended up being one of the coolest shows I've ever been part of." Then, during Professional Bull Riders championship week, "we went way outside of the box and had Jewel perform," he says.

Patrons appreciate the change-ups, he adds, and "like it when they don't know what to expect."

And, "there are celebrity interactions at every event," Spadafora says. "We're proud of the fact that we've become known as one of the places to see (famous) people."

In fact: LAX won staff pick honors as "best place to spot celebrities" in the R-J's 2008 Best of Las Vegas.

Often, even visiting celebs find LAX's general party groove irresistible. "We've had some (celebs) choose to walk around the dance floor and take pictures with people," Spadafora says.

But, ideally, Spadafora says, everyone at LAX will feel famous at one point or another during the night.

"I've always looked at nightclubs as, you get the opportunity to live like a rock star for a night," Spadafora says. "You're supposed to be pampered and have a great time and forget the problems you have."

LAX is open from 10:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Cover is $30 for men and $20 for women. For information, call 262-4529.

Contact reporter John Przybys at jprzybys@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0280.