Pauly D brings a little bit of Jersey to Rehab
DJ Pauly D is bringing a taste of the Jersey Shore to the desert by putting the “party” in “pool parties” at Rehab.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to spin in Vegas,” the East Coast DJ and reality TV star said.
He first stood inside the DJ booth above the crowds at the Hard Rock Hotel beach club about two years ago after finishing a few other Strip residencies, and that dream became reality.
“I fell in love with Las Vegas.”
Now, the 35-year-old calls Sin City home.
When he’s not flying all over the world to perform, filming for a TV show or recording, Pauly D says he loves to take advantage of the outdoor adventures that await Vegas residents.
“I’m like a kid in a candy store out here in the desert,” he said.
It’s a long way from where he got his start.
In 2009, he and seven strangers moved into a house together, and millions of people watched as their GTL-filled lives (gym, tan, laundry) unfolded on MTV’s “Jersey Shore.”
It was the show that gave meaning to the names Snooki, J-Woww and Pauly D. The cast members were catapulted instantly into reality-TV stardom.
Life for Pauly D has not slowed down since.
“It is a lot, but I love it,” he said.
At Rehab, though, it’s just about having a good time and making the crowd have a good time.
“We’re the granddaddy of them all,” Joe Bravo, the director of nightlife and day life at the Hard Rock Hotel, says of the club’s pool party. “We weren’t built to be a party; we just turned into one.”
Pauly D works to keep it that way by reading his crowds and playing music accordingly.
“I’ve never made a set in my life,” he said, explaining that he never pre-records tracks. “I like to see what the crowd is feeding off of.”
It’s not unusual for partygoers to hear him play hip-hop, rock and dance music during one performance.
“I play to the crowd,” he said. Sticking to one genre becomes monotonous quickly.
“My crowd is very interesting,” he said. People from all different backgrounds come from around the globe to swim, drink, tan (SDT) at Rehab, so it makes sense to play a little something for everyone.
Interacting with the crowd brings that party atmosphere to the next level.
“It’s one thing to go to a show; it’s another thing to feel like you’re part of the show,” Bravo says.
Pauly D says his most memorable performance was when he did just that while his friend performed during his birthday party.
“I jumped in the pool,” he said. “It was crazy.”
His story is just one of many at Rehab, Bravo says.
“We want you to leave with a story,” he said.
So, Pauly D fits right in.
“We want to have a good, consistent pool party every week,” Bravo said. “It’s like a tropical paradise.”
It’s hard to beat landing a gig that’s doing what you love and affords travel opportunities and chances to meet new people, but it’s even harder to land a gig with all of that and the freedom to get a nice orange glow.
“I can tan at the same time as I work,” Pauly D said.
His latest project, “Famously Single,” will air on E! in June and feature celebrities who have trouble finding love.
Once again, Pauly D had to move into a house with strangers, like castmate Aubrey O’Day, and have his life filmed. This time, he said, he knew what to expect — mostly.
“I haven’t talked to a therapist before,” he said with a laugh. The show changed that, and he says it was a great learning experience.
Around the same time as the show’s release, Pauly D is dropping a new record, featuring a secret artist, he said.
But if you don’t want to wait until summer to see and hear the DJ, you can find him at Rehab about twice a month. His next performance is April 30.
The pool season at Rehab typically ends in mid-October, so that’s potentially 10 opportunities to fist pump and New Jersey Turnpike at Pauly D’s pool party.
“Pool parties are supposed to be fun, and that’s what we are going after,” Bravo said.
Contact Kimberly De La Cruz at kdelacruz@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5244. Find her on Twitter: @KimberlyinLV.
