The Best Show on the Strip

If you check out the video, make sure to at least start at the 3:25 mark. Notice how close the audience is, how small the stage is, and how perfect the song is for the act. Gotta love Muse. You feel so close that you pull your head back because you are afraid of getting hit by a roller skate.

Four guys balancing themselves off of each other.

Absinthe is the best show on the Las Vegas Strip! Okay, I admit that is my own opinion. For the people who aren’t aware of what Absinthe is let me try to give you a quick description. Outside of Caesar’s Palace is a beautiful Spiegeltent (I did not realize it was one word till I looked up the spelling). Inside the tent it is fully decorated in a quirky fun way that takes you back in time. Bar included. Wood folding chairs are lined up in rows in a circle around a small stage. The show itself is a cabaret variety act. There is plenty of female and male eye candy who either sing or perform amazing stunts. Being in Seattle these shows can kind of be a dime a dozen. And I’ve seen quite a few of them myself. But Absinthe is on a completely different plane. Let me break it down for you of ‘why’ Absinthe may be the absolutely best show on the Strip because I know you may be saying to yourself, “There are probably over a hundred shows on the Strip Kim. What makes Absinthe so special?”

Cost

Retail price of tickets is $79 plus tax. Who really pays retail though? You can really work down the cost of your ticket by using an “All Stage Pass“, which I will explain in my next post and give the complete low down of how to maximize savings while minimizing road bumps. Even going by the retail price, it is a shade cheaper than any of the seven Cirque du Soleil shows (yes there are seven Cirque shows on the strip).

Seating

You will get way more bang for your buck on seating than any other show on the Strip. All you need is a little bit of time and planning. Seating is all General Admission except for a majority of the first row. Majority of the first row is set aside for VIP tickets which runs about $30 more and includes a free drink. It is possible to sit in the first row without a VIP ticket. Right before the show starts they fill up the seats, but when I attended it seemed they put people who were more dressed up front. There is no other show that I know of where you can sit so close without paying over a $100 and still see a drop of sweat roll down someone’s face. I got in line about half an hour before the show started and was still able to sit in the second row. I would suggest at least an hour during peak times though. You have to remember that is was off season when I went and they weren’t sold out. You are so close to the stage the front row can reach out and touch the people. There is no other place where you will get the chance for this. It makes stunts look that more awe-inspiring. You are able to actually view the work that is put into costumes or lack of. It also gives a great sense of intimacy with the people that are on stage. I felt much more connected. Other shows you feel like you are part of the audience, Absinthe you feel like you are part of the show.

Photography

Chairs were added one at a time, till he could reach the top of the tent with his toes.

The only show that I know of that will actually let you take pictures. No flash please. You don’t want to be the cause of a dangerous stunt to go wrong and people getting hurt. I took a lot of photos. All of the other shows I was at absolutely prohibited cameras of any kind.

Humor

The humor is probably not for everyone. But I was laughing so hard, my stomach started to hurt. I haven’t laughed that much and that hard for so long. The host of the show is a Borat like character, who has his own equally outlandish sidekick. I think it might depend on the audience and the feedback he gets from people, but he had the whole audience rolling. He isn’t racist, EVERYONE is made fun of. Beware of sitting where you can easily become the spotlight. He asked everyone to clap, but I don’t know what it is with this one dude, he just wouldn’t clap. Next thing you know, is that he became the brunt of a whole lot of jokes throughout the show. Lesson to learn, clap when the host says clap. He looked like an awkward big guy in hoodie who was very shy. I’m really surprised he didn’t get up to leave. He must of been called a “F*%&’ng Asshole” at least five times. I’m actually surprised the host doesn’t have two black eyes. He made fun of Lesbians, Gays, Republicans, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Jews, French Canadians, and I’m sure I missed a couple of groups.

These are just a couple of examples of some of the offensive material that was said by the Host and his Sidekick. *WARNING* You may cringe. You may actually have to be there to be able to laugh. Everyone was laughing when I was there, but if you can’t at least chuckle uncomfortably at one of these examples then the show is definitely not for you.

This was part of a gag act to make fun of Cirque du Soleil.

• He pointed to a group of Hispanic men and asked them if between the three of them if they used a bottle of hair gel everyday or if they just got that look from oil flying off the lawnmowers that they push everyday.
• His sidekick told a story about a unicorn with a big black male appendage on it’s forehead and how we would all drown from… I am not even going to bother wording it in a way that will be okay on a non X-rated blog.
• He pointed to an Asian and asked them where their camera was, because he thought all Asians were suppose to carry one.
• He called a group of girls in tiny dresses which one of them was the drunkest slut. And it seemed like they were arguing with themselves which one was the sluttiest.
• His sidekick mentioned how she felt like she peed after watching rock hard ab men do a strength show. But then she realized it wasn’t pee when she stuck her hand up her dress, then smelled her hand… But she did finish off by saying how she wanted to leave a snail trail down their abs.

Beauty

There were beautiful scantily clad men and beautiful scantily clad women. One had the voice of an angel while she sang and stripped off the majority of her clothing.

Talent

Talent ranged from amazing tests of strength to keeping the air from escaping a huge bubble while inserting herself inside the bubble. I know I saw a bunch of the same exact acts at some of the other shows I saw, but being so close to it made it 1000 times more amazing.

Make sure to check out all of the photos in the gallery.

Methodical and slow stunts that showed off the strength of these two guys.