Sax Attempts To Re-Brand With Privilege List

Sax, the lounge at 734 11th Street, launched their exclusive Wednesday privilege nights last night. The red-and-gold invitation featured a red velvet rope, in line with the lounge's opulent decor. Belvedere's mixologist Claire Smith was there, and guests sipped on Belvedere Lemon Tea Thyme Tonic and Belvedere Pure Sunsplash--until they ran out of them about an hour into the party, which went from 7pm to 1am.

[photo: Ginuwine and his wife Tonya/Sole by Dave Phillipich]

It's cool that Ginuwine and his wife stopped by (you might remember him from his 1997 hit, Pony). Other than that, the only other "VIPs" there were the DC Housewives tag-along Paul Wharton and a couple of local newscasters. And Erika Gutierrez, the it-PR-girl that put the VIP list together (she looked stunning in a short black lace dress and a new engagement ring).

The hundreds of guests at the party quickly began to feel less privileged as they ordered $11 Stoli cocktails from three exasperated bartenders in a venue with temperatures that were flirting with the heatwave outdoors.

Guests stayed entertained with an intermittent burlesque/ballet show that played out on a glass stage above the bar.

The party itself was not bad. There was a lot of mingling, good energy, and a lot of people had friends of friends there. It just didn't stun anyone looking forward to something exclusive, which is what they should have done to grab and keep the attention of the "privileged" guests.

[DJ Donald Syriana by Alfredo Flores] [Burlesque show above the bar, by Dave Phillipich]