San Luis shakes it up
The San Luis Salute personified good-ole-fashioned fun, Galveston style. Though the evening’s “Billion Dollar Buyer” and party host, Tilman Fertitta, missed the festivities (his Rockets defeated the Denver Nuggets at the Toyota Center that night), wife Paige Fertitta had no trouble entertaining the record crowd with the help of her children, Patrick, Blayne and Blake Fertitta. Their surprise guest, Blondie’s Debbie Harry, was the hit of the night.
The champagne-fueled fete kicked off at the San Luis Hotel’s revamped pool, The Cove. In past years, VIPs toasted Mardi Gras aboard The Boardwalk, the Fertitta’s family yacht.
Just as well. A dense fog enveloped the island at dusk, and the poolside Veuve Clicquot fest, complete with Aqualilies synchronized swimmers and Divisi Strings, proved a safer bet.
Next door, at the Galveston Island Convention Center, event wizard Richard Flowers had transformed the space into a megasized Hollywood Dinner Club. Following “Space Pirates” and “Gotham City” themes, repeat galagoers practically danced their way into the vintage-swathed ballroom wrapped in black-and-white striped “wallpaper.” Towering orchids and white-washed palm trees helped create a throwback scene, à la the Beverly Hills Hotel circa 1960.
A jaw-dropping turnout of 1,800 guests ordered Planter’s Punch and cracked open the tabletop bottles of Tito’s vodka during the four-course dinner service. Emcee Tom Koch introduced the Knights of Momus court and honoree, Dr.
Joan E. Nichols, via royal procession in between high-octane performances by Atlanta-based band the Big Beyond.
Later, a sensual “Scarlett Martini” choreographed dance on the runway stage caused a social-media frenzy. The crowd recovered from the Las Vegas-style burlesque show just in time for Blondie’s surprise concert; Harry belted impressive renditions of “One Way or Another,” “Heart of Glass” and “The Tide Is High.”
For in-the-know partygoers, celebrations continued at the San Luis Bar.
That’s where a hundred or so patrons enjoyed champagne, french fries and Paige Fertitta’s karaoke moment onstage with Password Band.
Surprising? Yes, though a fitting end to a weekend full of the unexpected.