Clubbing Package Pt.18. Tao Beach w/ Fisher @ Vegas

Last Clubbing Post:

Main Plot Starts Here

Ok, I had some sentimental moments dipping right out of Seurat. On my way to Logan! Planned on hitting up Emma there, but we were in different terminals.

I need to leave as soon as possible because any moments of stillness leave me anxious like a claustrophobic pigeon stuck inside an elevator.

I struggled in the airport, on the plane, and off the plane like a dog. It was not a comfy ride, and I couldn’t fall asleep. Insomnia, one of my worst fears.

Sin cityyy...!

But here I am. Landed in Vegas. Sin City welcomed me with some ungodly heat waves.

Mesmerizing.

When I looked outside the plane window, I was mesmerized by the neon lights that outlined this fake paradise. Even from the air, I can tell that every inch of this land is screaming consumerism, and I willingly accept it.

Inside my hotel. So many casinos! My wallet feels a bit intimidated.

Uber Driver

I woke up as if I had been punched all night long, but my discounted extravagant room cheered me up. Bikini ready. Makeup ready. Uber ready. On my way to the Tao Beach inside the Venetian Resort.

The Uber driver was from Jiangsu. He told me after witnessing me looking for his car like ants in a maze: There are rules for Uber drivers in Vegas. They don’t pull up to the road like drivers do in Boston. Usually, the taxi and doormen are a gang, isolating Uber drivers to some designated areas for pick up.

He told me that, after staying in the US for a few years, it is impossible to leave. Us Chinese need to secure identities. I asked him what he studied in college. He said that his academic journey was in the last era. He studied civil engineering. I had so many questions, but all he talked about was Vegas and how you should survive in Vegas.

Tao Beach

I was dropped off in front of the beautiful Venetian Resort. I followed other Bikini girls into the hotel and casually asked if they were also heading towards Tao. Yep, of course.

They were friendly girls and asked if I wanted to join their group. Thanks! The line was crazy long, spiraling along the aisle, until the stairs that stretched to the lower level. When the bouncer asked the leader girl for entry methods, she said, 6 on the guest lists. She auto-included me! Theoretically, I entered for FREE, but I have already bought the ticket for Fisher. But still, a win is a win.

A narrow escalator brought me up to the entrance of the Tao Beach Club, with the signature Hand sculpture, and Buddha mascots everywhere. I heard it adopted loads of Thai elements. It really does.

Wait for 5 more seconds...

And there was a relatively empty Tao beach. Pool, overly-priced bars, baddie bartenders, VIP tables. I smell money, money, and money. 3 shots of Tequila and water is 50 bucks. When I asked if there was anything cheaper, the hottie bartender looked at me as if I were insane.

This is the signature Tao sculpture. My dream came true just like that.

I was sipping on my drink and letting it hit my head minute by minute. The next thing I know, I was in the pool with the friend group, soaking the tips of my hair in the water, my shoulders wide exposed under the sun. It was the water that kept me balanced. I was drinking every weekend ever since 6/21. I built up just enough tolerance to not be knocked out by the shot.

A girl in a pool.

Those girls were here in Vegas for one of their bachelorettes. Hangover girl version? We were swaying to the beat drops. They were chit-chatting, and I was sipping my Tequila.

One of the girls, Liz, got something in her eye. She tried to get that out for 30 minutes but couldn’t. She was crying with one eye being completely red, which scared me. I suggested that they go ask the lifeguard for help. They did. The lifeguard randomly grabbed a cup and filled it with water. She poured the water in Liz’s eye, and she got better.

The tiny incident sobered me up a bit.

I kept leaving the pool for the restroom to the point that I just did not go back to the pool. 1 hour before Fisher goes up, I want to say goodbye to the girls, but I lost them in the crowd. I feel sorry. But I guess that is how it goes. You meet some people, have a good time, and never see them again in your life. I remember one of the girls got me a towel. I remember Liz smiling with tears as she finally got her eyes clear. I remember the other 2 girls put colorful Hawaiian flowers on their hair ties and beside their cups. They said, If they were the Tequila, then Nancy is the lime. I started blushing, and they laughed, showing dimples. We said cheers, and we drank up.

Fisher

30 minutes before Fisher shows up, I tried my best to sneak into the standing crowd for my Vegas baby rave. I accidentally kicked some girls’ purses into the pool. Sorry…

I see a bucket hat and signature shaders. I see a Fish. I see FISHER. Paul Fisher is here. I started screaming like a hawk. But people around me are all like this as well.

Paul Fisher is here.

It is the third time I’ve seen Fisher in the States. The 1st time was with Becca and Mandy at Roadrunner in Boston. The 2nd time was with a frog at the Palm Tree Festival in the Hamptons. The 3rd time was by myself, here at Tao Beach in Las Vegas. So much has happened. At this point, I am eyeing and heading to those raves just as excuses to travel and see the world. They have become my comfort zones. I try to prove that I can have a blast by myself, and I don’t need to rely on a community to have the time of my life. I want to be free. Deep down, I know this is somehow toxic, but my internship just wrapped up, and I have 2 weeks left until school, so I don’t necessarily need a reason to justify my irrational decisions. I kept trying to psycho-analyze myself and do things right. But Chirag made it sound like a sin to be anxious on vacation. You are literally in Vegas. The only thing you should be worrying about is not blacking out or marrying someone. Chill, bro.

I did not keep a specific tracklist, but I remember Fisher opened with some ID I don’t know, and he played Mau P’s The Less I Know The Better, Cloonee’s Stephanie, Chris Lake’s tracks, and some other really classy IDs. All the DJs are playing them! I was hoping he could play Goodies, but nah. He played Playboi Carti, though! Crazy stuff. Some people asked where I got my Fisher bucket hat, and I pointed at the merch shop. I spent 65 dollars on merch. I Zelled a stranger to pay for me, because I did not bring physical cash or a card. The cashier joked that “What if she just be like ok bye!” I ain’t gonna.

This might be my 10th rave this summer. I was not as hyped as the newbie excitement went away, but I do think I started knowing how to get my own rhythm, and now I can pace myself gracefully: knowing when to get drunk, when to sober up and join the crowd, how to talk to strangers, how to make friends, and how to spot potential help. While everything goes with the flow, I do need to keep myself responsible. I tried to calculate all the timings and make sure I have fun and stay alive. I wish I didn’t need to think this much. My nervous system was never fully recovered, but I really need Fisher as my last excuse for getting on a plane this summer.

I really had fun seeing Fisher. I was even more familiar with his style almost 2 months after the Hamptons. I know 80% of the IDs he played, and I was just simply happy. The joy was plain and simple like that. There was some sort of satisfaction generated by loud sounds and big crowds. I suppose people do need a community to stay connected, and no man is an island if he does not want to be. Is it true?

I admire Fisher’s stage personalities. Without realizing it, I started copying his moves. It was when I stared at him at close distance that I realized I was unconsciously copying and applying his grooves and his moves. Fisher is my first house crush. There is something weird about the concept of “first,” and how the human brain processes the concept of novelty. It is all just chemistry. Reactions and synapses. At the end of the day, how sophisticated are we?

I had a good time seeing Fisher. I realy did.

My phone ran out of battery. I think it is meant to be, so I can focus on the present instead of keeping taking pictures, as if collecting trophies of my experience. But isn’t this blog just a hallmark of me getting scared of forgetting and being allergic to norms?

Right after I left the narrow aisle of the escalator again, my phone came alive. Dame! I wanted to take photos with the entry sculpture so badly, and there went my timing. It was heaven’s message of reminding me to stay focused on what’s in front of me.

Cool hands. Just like Fisher’s.

Venetians, Casinos, Chickened Out

I spent a good amount of time roaming in the huge indoor shopping mall inside the Venetians. Indoor river; artificial dome; blinding metal decorations… Everything is dazzling. I walked in Bikini mesh and slippers for 2 hours. I didn’t get anything other than small souvenirs. I helped like 3 groups of strangers take photos, and a kind old man helped take mine, too.

I entered the glamorous Casino. I sat down at an empty blackjack table. The dealer is an Asian woman who just looks really Chinese. I thought it was my chance to enter the gambling world by bonding with a dealer from a similar background. Then, just out of nowhere, 3 blonde frat bros in white shirts sat down and filled the table, taking out decks of twenties.

??? That was like my 3-day salary, like… ???

I was just talking to the dealer about how it was my first time here, and if she could teach me a little bit… She pointed at the frat bros: “They can teach you.”

Madam. Madam! What about “girls help girls?”

“Yes, we will teach you.” One of the bros said.

Teach me my ***. I felt like a sheep in a wolf pack.

The dealer gave my passport to another dealer for a second round of ID check under a machine. Are you serious? The wait feels like forever. Fortunately, Apple Pay does not work here, so I had the excuse to get off the table. I dipped right away, because this just does not feel right. Minimum 25 buy-in is a bit too much for me.

I walked 10 minutes in the outrageous heat to get to the Uber pickup spot. …I got back to the hotel.

Last Rave This Summer

I got naked in like 5 seconds. I mean, I wasn’t wearing much anyway, but still. After a 5-minute shower, I buried myself in bed. Insomnia hit again for some reason, but I fell asleep eventually.

I didn’t realize it until I typed this down, but that is my last rave this summer, if I want it to be. Maybe I will go hit a club in NY. But it really might be my last rave with a big headliner whom I am obsessed with. In that case, I am glad that my phone died, and I was able to hear Losing It in full action without documenting with a 3rd narrative.

I want to live in the moment. Starting from 6/9, I was busy living for the next ticket and the next morning. While I was in Cali, I was busy getting ready for the internship and dreaming about the Hamptons. While I was in Malden, I was busy planning my next trip and searching the tour schedule of headliners. While I am in Vegas now, I am busy checking emails and planning out my post-graduation paths. But what about now, like, right now?

It took me a while to figure out the reason why I feel like such a hustle in most whiles. Or have I really figured it out? Are you a dreamer? Am I a dreamer?

I really don’t like the term “last.” It feels so doomed. It most likely indicates tears in most situations. I don’t like feeling powerless. But every attitude is a choice. Choose it well!

Hmm..

Sin city… Treat me well.

Next Up:

🫡🫡🫡

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Published 16 Aug 2025