CasiNotes: Resorts' new retro dance club, Boogie Nights, a runaway hit

THIS HAS been a lousy year for Resorts Atlantic City.

The town's first legal gaming hall has been, even more than most of its competitors, clobbered by the ongoing, citywide economic downturn. Profits have plummeted a whopping 60 percent since January, and the casino recently missed a loan payment.

But there has been one bright spot for the property: Boogie Nights, the retro-themed nightclub that celebrates its first anniversary tonight.

Located in the space that for decades was the Camelot steak house, Boogie Nights has far outdistanced any expectations that existed before its opening last Thanksgiving weekend.

At the time, the idea was to open the shrine to 1970s and '80s pop culture on holiday weekends only. But its debut, which drew some 2,000 people when 400 had been the goal, was so spectacular that Resorts execs and club owner David Pena had no choice but to make it a weekly affair, which it became last January.

"When it opened, I knew it was something special. But I can't say I knew it would turn out like this, with lines to get in and all different [age groups]," said Pena, who also co-owns and operates the popular Planet Rose karaoke bar at The Quarter inside Tropicana Casino and Resort. "I didn't know it would get to this point."

It's not, as Pena noted, that he was such a genius to devise the club's nostalgia-dipped concept. Instead, he credited Resorts personnel with having the vision and talent to make the idea work. And, more to the point, he cited the space itself as the key to Boogie Nights' unqualified success.

With its high ceilings and vintage architecture (Resorts' main building dates to the 1890s), the disco "is very authentic to what clubs were like in 1978 in New York or Philadelphia. I think we captured the time period."

The room has a "magic" to it that newer establishments just can't match, he continued. "Every time I walk in, I still get chills."

Beyond the physical space, Pena identified other reasons that his club, which is usually open only on Saturday nights, has, in 12 months, become a hub of AyCee nightlife.

The format, which celebrates everything from the pop and dance music of the era to such cultural totems as "Happy Days," "Saturday Night Fever" and roller-disco, offers older patrons a nice dose of nostalgia while providing twenty- and thirtysomethings a taste of a time that has to seem more inviting - not to mention fun - than today.

And, in a town where sex (that is, the prospect of getting some) is the undercurrent that drives most danceterias, Pena bragged that his joint is far more relaxed.

"It seems to attract a lot of females," he offered. "It's not a 'meat market,' there's no pressure. It's just a place that's so much fun."

Boogie Nights' success has extended beyond the club's walls. It has helped Resorts shed its reputation as one of Atlantic City's frumpier properties.

"Boogie Nights was created to bring energy and excitement to Resorts and to give our players and guests of the hotel something fun to do in addition to the casino, dining, and headline entertainment we were offering," said casino spokesman Brian Cahill.

"But it has become much more than that. Boogie Nights has introduced thousands of new people to the property, as well as become a revenue stream from both the club as well as ancillary casino play, all the while enhancing the brand of Resorts.

"When people think of the hottest club in AC, they think of Boogie Nights, and when they think of Boogie Nights, they think of Resorts. With Boogie Nights, there's a buzz felt throughout the building, and everyone - the guests, the casino players, and the staff - are really enjoying it."

Resorts Atlantic City, Boardwalk at North Carolina Avenue, 9 tonight, $10, 21+, 609-340-7698, www.resortsac.com.

For a more contemporary take on the dance club experience, you'll want to check out The Pool at Harrah's Resort Atlantic City as Girl Talk presides over tonight's revelry.

For the uninitiated, Girl Talk is the nom de disco of digital DJ Gregg Gillis, the current king of the club scene. His stock-in-trade is the use of familiar pop and rock tracks (everything from Styx to Jay-Z to Nirvana) rather than standard-issue electronica and bass-pumped dance music. *

Harrah's Resort Atlantic City, 777 Harrah's Blvd., 11 tonight, $20 (must be 21), 1-800-736-1420, www.ticketmaster.com.

Chuck Darrow has covered Atlantic City and the casino industry for more than 20 years. Read his blog at

http://go.philly.com/casinotes. Or e-mail him at darrowc@phillynews.com.