Mondo Lounge Las Vegas Modernism Weekend

Mid Century Modern Fans Unite at a Party with Cocktails, Music, Dancing and more...

  
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Home > The Mondo Lounge Manifesto

The Mondo Lounge Manifesto

Mondo Lounge Celebrates the Space Age to the Coming of Age in our Society and Culture

The period between 1957 and 1963 were those of ultimate optimism, outstanding architectural, fashion, car and industrial design. The social climate was filled with cocktails and stylish ultra living. It truly was a Golden Era of American Culture, and era we affectionately call the “Mondo Lounge Era.”

Inspiration Breakfast at Tiffanies

Inspiration Breakfast at Tiffanies

It Began in 1957

1957 was the dawning of the Space Age. The first earth-orbiting artificial satellite, Sputnik I, was launched into space on Oct. 4, 1957, by the Soviet Union. The satellite, with its signature spikes that extended out from a cylindrical center had a diameter of 22 inches and became a visual icon of the time. In Disneyland, a new home opened in Tomorrowland, the MIT designed the Monsanto House of the Future!

Googie Architecture

Googie Architecture

1957-1958 was also known as the IGY (International Geophysical Year) a time when scientists from 67 countries participated in comprehensive study of global geophysical phenomenon. Remember Donald Fagan’s song, “What a beautiful world this would be… What a glorious time to be free!”

Working at his typewriter surrounded by 'bunny girls', publisher Hugh M Hefner at the Playboy Key Club in Chicago. He founded adult magazines, Playboy, VIp and Oui. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)

Working at his typewriter surrounded by ‘bunny girls’, publisher Hugh M Hefner at the Playboy Key Club in Chicago. He founded adult magazines, Playboy, VIp and Oui. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)

Around the World in 80 Days produced by Michael Todd for United Artists won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1957. “Whatever Will Be, Will Be” (“Que Sera, Sera”) from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much beat out Cole Porter’s “True Love” from High Society a film that starred Princess Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.

Inspiration Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby Swell Party

Inspiration Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby Swell Party

“Leave It to Beaver” premiered on CBS, ushering in an era of television that depicted the ideal American and Elvis Aaron Presley had 3 top ten hits that year with “Too Much” “All Shook Up” and “Teddy Bear.” And finally, 1957 was also the year of birth for ‘Exotica’ music named after Martin Denny’s debut album release “Exotica” which features the quintessential tiki track “Quiet Village.”

Inspiration Hugh Hefner

Inspiration Hugh Hefner

1957 truly marks a time of heightened promise: cool jazz, Playboy clubs and bachelor pad living, progress and robotics, cruising to your neighborhood Googie coffee shop in your ’57 Chevy, James Bond novels and bomb shelters, cocktail parties and tiki bars, Dior’s New Look was still a favored silhouette, and there was a fabulous future on the horizon: The Kennedy Era…

Inspiration James Bond

Inspiration James Bond

It Began to Pass in 1963

The Mondo Lounge era ends in 1963. It was the end of the innocence for Americans when President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas at the end of 1963. The first telecast murder happened when Lee Harvey Oswald was shot by Jack Ruby on NBC – quite a stretch from “Leave it to Beaver.” 1963 was also the year that saw Martin Luther King delivering his “I Have a Dream” speech during the “March on Washington,” waking the world up with a civil rights rally attended by 200,000 blacks and whites in Washington, D.C. And finally popular music took a turn in 1963 when the seeds of the British Invasion were sown. Beatlemania took the British Isles by storm and a new era had begun.

Inspiration La Dolce Vita

Inspiration La Dolce Vita

 

Inspiration Frank Sinatra and JFK

Inspiration Frank Sinatra and JFK

Resulting Mission

The Mission of Mondo Lounge is to CREATE COMMUNITY… and provide a fun annual immersive environment for aficionados of the futuristic idealistic optimistic Mid Century Modern era of style and entertainment.

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The Infamous Image by SHAG

I had a Blast!

I had a Blast...
I can't wait for next year!






DJ K-Billy, Long Beach, CA

Mondo Lounge Las Vegas Modernism Weekend
5
2016-08-24T11:22:52+00:00

DJ K-Billy, Long Beach, CA

I had a Blast... I can't wait for next year!
https://www.mondolounge.com/testimonials/i-had-a-blast/

We had a great time!!!

The Mondo weekend and all the Mondo People were fab!
We had a great time - from the neon cruise to the SHAG documentary
and everything in between.

Irishlass, Sacramento CA

Mondo Lounge Las Vegas Modernism Weekend
5
2016-08-24T11:23:42+00:00

Irishlass, Sacramento CA

The Mondo weekend and all the Mondo People were fab! We had a great time - from the neon cruise to the SHAG documentary and everything in between.
https://www.mondolounge.com/testimonials/we-had-a-great-time/

A HUGE HIT! YAY!

I say the event was a HUGE HIT!! Yay!
Fabulous work, very well done indeed! I'm so honored to have been a part of it!

Pin-up Sensation Kay O'Hara, Toronto, Canada

Mondo Lounge Las Vegas Modernism Weekend
5
2016-08-24T11:24:15+00:00

Pin-up Sensation Kay O'Hara, Toronto, Canada

I say the event was a HUGE HIT!! Yay! Fabulous work, very well done indeed! I'm so honored to have been a part of it!
https://www.mondolounge.com/testimonials/a-huge-hit-yay/

A Smashing Success!

Mondo Lounge in Las Vegas was a Smashing Success!
Long story short, the weekend was full of gambling, sex, cocktails, music and good times.

DJ Drew Groove, Portland, OR

Mondo Lounge Las Vegas Modernism Weekend
5
2016-08-24T11:25:24+00:00

DJ Drew Groove, Portland, OR

Mondo Lounge in Las Vegas was a Smashing Success! Long story short, the weekend was full of gambling, sex, cocktails, music and good times.
https://www.mondolounge.com/testimonials/a-smashing-success/

All Over Way too Fast…

I drank non-stop, had some great meals, saw some sites and made some new friends.
It was all over way to fast...

DJ Drew Groove, Portland, OR

Mondo Lounge Las Vegas Modernism Weekend
5
2016-08-24T11:26:40+00:00

DJ Drew Groove, Portland, OR

I drank non-stop, had some great meals, saw some sites and made some new friends. It was all over way to fast...
https://www.mondolounge.com/testimonials/all-over-way-too-fast/
5
Mondo Lounge Las Vegas Modernism Weekend
Mondo Lounge and Mondo Lounge Atomic Frolic (c) 2004-2017. mm stratton. all rights reserved.

Mondo Lounge was initially inspired by the members of The Lotta Living Community


Lotta Livin' is an online community created by Mary-Margaret Stratton that brings together fans of Mid Century Modern design, architecture and lifestyle with the ultimate goal of historic preservation through this shared love of all things vintage. The Lotta Living community began in 1999 as an outreach of the Los Angeles Conservancy Modern Committee and now reaches to thousands of MidMod enthusiasts from across the country.

www.LottaLivin.com

AND ML II and III were by a creative cooperation between Jason Croft of Java's Bachelor Pad Empire - called Mondo Frolic Productions: https://www.facebook.com/mondofrolic

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What is Mondo Lounge?

Mondo Lounge Ultimate Retro Party and Conference themed around the lifestyle and culture of America from 1957 to 1963 which brings together fans of Mid Century Modern HomeFurnishings, furniture and design, Retro Vintage Fashion, Tiki, Exotica Music, Classic Car Culture, Bachelor Pad Living, Pin-up Girls, Swing Dance Scene, Historic Las Vegas, and the Frank Sinatra Rat Pack era.

Mid-Century Modernists Unite!

Cocktails and Dancing!
Mystery Celebrity Guests!
Classic Las Vegas Lounge Entertainment!
Discounts to local Museums!
Vintage Vendors!
Classic Architecture Tours!
Film Screenings!
Special Exhibitors and Presentations!

Apologies

We apologize in advance for not giving proper credit to all of the wonderful photos and models. It was just too big of a task. Please upload your pix on the Facebook group and give yourself the credit you are do. And let us know if you wish us to remove any image from this website. No copyright infringement is intended.

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