Qarma Nightclub at Queen Las Vegas spices up the gay club scene

Thu, Jan 4, 2024 (2 a.m.)

Queen Las Vegas’ caller Qarma nightclub isn’t Eduardo Cordova’s archetypal leather-clad rodeo. But it is the archetypal clip the nightlife impresario has opened a hotspot that’s truthful intrinsically linked to a larger picture.

It has agelong been Cordova’s imagination to physique a robust LGBTQ territory successful Vegas. Liaison, the Strip’s archetypal cheery nightclub—which helium spearheaded with Victor Drai—was short-lived, but it spurred a fig of offshoots, including Cordova’s ain Arts District bar, the Garden.

But the instauration of Queen, his latest task with Q Hospitality, is thing other entirely. Located astatine the Thunderbird Hotel connected Las Vegas Boulevard, Queen bills itself arsenic the Strip’s archetypal LGBTQ restaurant, bar, nightclub and edifice (with Cordova readying to yet bring each Thunderbird’s rooms nether the Queen banner). Qarma’s relation is to bolster those offerings arsenic a full-service enactment destination, evolving the Queen acquisition into a sunup to sundown affair.

The 3,500-square-foot nine is simply a hideaway compared to the Strip’s mega-venues, but nary size queen tin kick astir the quality of this club. There’s nary clear-cut signage, nary reddish velvet enactment oregon adjacent a screen complaint (before 11 p.m.), but what Qarma lacks successful blatancy, it makes up for successful scene. Tucked beyond a neon-lit entranceway hallway is simply a drastically antithetic vibe than the main eating lounge wherever Queen’s barroom exists.

The go-go dancers present could enactment antheral revues successful this metropolis to shame. The men of Qarma saddle up connected their posts, teasing revelers successful their Speedos stuffed with dollar bills. It’s besides not uncommon to spot these studs retired connected the creation floor. For HalloQueen, they swaggered done the bar, grinding done a fig to Beyoncé’s Queen-approved “Bow Down.”

Visually, Qarma stuns arsenic a acceptable portion to the remainder of Queen. More than 50,000 LEDs adorn the abstraction and that doesn’t see the stand-alone laser amusement launched erstwhile the DJs arrive. Resident DJ Lexto, who’s besides spun astatine the Garden, anchors regular tech-house sets astatine Qarma, portion the adjacent barroom favors Latin euphony nights hosted by section queens.

There’s nary shortage of stimulation here. Qarma maintains a stacked calendar to support the “girls, gays and theys” satisfied. It’s a good summation to what Vegas’ LGBTQ assemblage already has, but the imaginable of what Qarma could yet go erstwhile Queen Hotel afloat arrives makes it each the much promising.

QARMA Queen Las Vegas, 1215 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-982-8259, queenlv.com. Thursday-Sunday, 12 p.m.-5 a.m.

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