Designed by the team who brought Las Vegas its Luxor Hotel and Ra! Nightclub, Mirage carries the ancient Egyptian theme to the east coast. Located in a major shopping area around the corner from the Nassau Coliseum, this relatively new club has been the talk of the town since opening its doors this fall. Complimentary valet parking awaits all who arrive to this club, which bills itself as the largest on Long Island. While very spacious, I cannot attest to that claim. The building looks very simple on the outside, but as one enters, they could see that this is a very unique space. Egyptian themes abound in the airy interior. Mirage's interior is one of the best laid out in the industry. Large bar areas and walkways surround a large sunken dance floor that features one of the most advanced and amazing light and sound systems I have seen. Each is of the utmost quality without being overbearing. The ceiling over the dance floor is elevated to over double the height of the rest of the club. This allows for six huge projection screens to broadcast images and scenes from the club throughout the night. Mirage also features a snow system (ala Exit) that covers the entire dance floor and then some.

Music was terrific all night as an opening DJ spun very commercial house music that led into more progressive sounds. Over the course of the evening, the house music gave way to a unique half hour set featuring classic sounds from rock, to hip-hop, and everything in between. Jason Ojeda, the club's Saturday night resident then manned the decks for an unbelievable set featuring both fresh and classic house tracks that took the crowd back to his CPI nights over the past five years. Mirage is open until 5AM and the die-hards take full advantage of every last minute. Other nights of the week feature DJs Mada and Moody, Riz, Johnny Budz, and Jenny Costa. Each night is geared toward a specific crowd and is packed to capacity.

Typical Long Island crowds make up the bulk of Mirage's patrons with about twenty-five percent of people making the drive in from elsewhere. One of the nicer things about the club is that when not on the dance floor, music is not overbearing. This allows one to easily converse and order drinks without screaming throughout the duration of the night. Dress is very typically clubby, yet upscale. Jeans and sneakers are for the most part, not permitted. Age range varies greatly; Giving Mirage the feel somewhat of a vacation spot rather than a commuter club. Be sure to check with the club as the age requirement also varies from night to night.

Very few things about my experience at Mirage gave me reason to complain. One of the main areas that need addressing is the cost of mixed drinks. While not obscene, they certainly rival prices at some of Manhattan and the Hampton's highest priced establishments. This would not be much to complain about if not for the pitifully weak drinks that were being served by every bartender I visited. I am sure I would not have heard so many complaints if the quality and strength of the drinks was more adequate. A "Red Bull and Grey Goose," for example, was a staggering $13.00 (very high for a suburban spot). Also, the club features only one set of bathrooms. The lines grow to outrageous lengths and cause major back up in the flow of people through the areas of the club that they are located.

These two concerns are relatively minor in the overall quality of this very good club. The only thing I was extremely disappointed to find was the attitude of management with regards to opinions of the club. When planning to visit a location for review, we often call ahead to obtain a contact name of a representative that can offer some information on DJ lineups, club policies, etc. I had called the club several hours before making the drive into Long Island, and was told (after being told to hold for the manager) that she apologized, but the management had no interest in being reviewed. I was taken aback by such a comment. This was the first time in all the years PromoNY.com has been in operation that we were given such an answer. I find that attitude akin to a restaurant or motion picture being completely opposed to being reviewed. One can assume that either the management is concerned that the quality will not be up to par or that they are totally unwilling to hear and address the opinions of its patrons. I am however, happy to say that Mirage exceeded nearly all of my expectations. At a time when Manhattan's already struggling nightlife industry is facing another tremendous challenge with the arrival of the new anti-smoking laws, Mirage is giving the large number of Bridge and Tunnelers yet another exceptional reason to take a bit longer to make their way back to the city. MIRAGE, 737 MERRICK AVE. WESTBURY, NY

by Jay Matassa

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