VIP Spotlight: Nick Mascetta of Voyeur

While many clubs tend to play by the same rules, Voyeur’s only rule is to completely break them all in order to create a brand new sound in San Diego nightlife. Anyone who has partied (hard) at Voyeur knows that this edgy nightclub is all about the music. And VIP Host Nick Mascetta couldn’t agree more.

A few years ago, Electronic and House Music was hard to find in the Gaslamp Quarter. When Voyeur opened doors in 2009, it turned local nightlife completely on its side with hard-hitting beats and a new way to see the scene: pure L.E.D. vision.

From the epically trendsetting 20-ft. L.E.D. wall to cutting-edge DJs and music acts, Sunglasses at Night serial debauchery, genre-defying Wave House invasion day parties, and even Canada-inspired in-club cake fights, Voyeur definitely entered the San Diego nightlife scene with a massive bang last summer and proceeded to drag us wiling locals along for the wild ride every weekend after.

And it’s not just Electro-loving locals who pile into Voyeur every week for fantastical CIRCUS parties and beats by Kaskade, Calvin Harris, and Laidback Luke – during Comic-Con weekend Deadmau5 himself was spotted on the ever-popular VIP dance floor table during a Chris Lake set. If the biggest DJs in the world are not only spinning at your venue, but also partying with you, you’ve gotta be doing something right.

Discover why Voyeur is best for VIP nightlife in San Diego straight from the source in this exclusive interview.

Want In? To go VIP at Voyeur please call 866.376.3128 tonight!

DiscoverSD: Why is Voyeur the best spot in San Diego for VIP nightlife?
Nick Mascetta: At Voyeur, it’s all about the music. If you are into the Electronic Music scene, you are not going to find anyone that does is better in San Diego. In less than a year, we have had such acts as Kaskade, Calvin Harris, Laidback Luke, Cosmic Gate, Markus Schulz, Gareth Emery, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, and many others.

DSD: What is the best table in the house?
NM: That is a matter of opinion depending on what you like. However, my most popular table is on the dance floor next to the DJ. The table can hold up to 25 people, it overlooks the entire crowd and you are literally within 10 feet of some of the top DJ's in the world. 

DSD: If you’re going to party at Voyeur, why should you go VIP and get table service? What are the perks that come with going VIP?
NM: In the end, it’s all about convenience and fun. VIP clients get to go through a separate entrance without waiting in line. They don't have to pay cover, and they get the best seats in the house.  

DSD: What is the price range for a bottle service experience?
NM: Average bottle price runs $325. We usually run a one bottle minimum for every five people in the party. However, this can fluctuate up quite a bit when we have big DJ's that are in high demand.

DSD: What are the top parties you’ve seen thrown at Voyeur?
NM: There are way too many good ones to name them all. For bottle service, the best night we had was on a Monday for DJ Kaskade. Something was just in the air that night. Bottles of champagne were flying out all night. We ended up doing 17 bottles on the dance floor table alone. Crazy night! Tommy Lee also hosted our VIP Appreciation Night. That one quickly got out of hand. Most recently, we did a CIRCUS party with an Alice in Wonderland theme. It was sick – people on stilts, crazy rainbow umbrellas, gymnasts hanging from the ceiling, and the Mad Hatter hosting the whole night. If you hear about our CIRCUS parties in the future, they are definitely worth checking out.

DSD: What celebrities and special guests love to party at Voyeur?
NM: In general, our DJ's are our celebrities. People travel down from LA, Vegas, San Francisco, and even the East Coast to get a glimpse of some of our guys because they are so hard to find playing in the United States.

DSD: What are the biggest / most extravagant bottle service tabs you’ve seen at Voyeur?
NM: You know it’s funny – so many people focus on the money side of things. My philosophy is to focus on fun. I want to give everyone the best possible experience so at the end of the night, they walk out with a smile on their face. When people are having a good time, the money side of things tends to take care of itself.

DSD: Voyeur is one of the newest clubs to hit the scene. How is it different than the other downtown clubs?
NM: Voyeur is a different niche than anything else in town! Stingaree, Ivy, Hard Rock, Side Bar, and Fluxx all use the same formula: The music is top 40 and hip-hop, the scene is posh or at least trying to be, and the dress code makes everyone look the same. Voyeur says: Throw the superficial crap aside, put on your chucks and jeans and get ready for a fist pumping good time. The music pumps louder and the people party harder than anywhere else in town! Couple that together with a 20 foot LED light wall, a dark industrial feel, gold skulls everywhere, and AK47 machine gun lamps and you've got a concept that is untested so far in San Diego.

DSD: How do you see the San Diego nightlife industry transforming in the next five years? How will Voyeur continue to stay up to speed with all the new competition?
NM: It's really hard to say. When Fluxx opened up, a lot of people thought it would be one club too many, and that someone would have to give in, but so far, everyone is still rockin’. I actually believe that Voyeur is ahead of the trend in San Diego and that a lot of people are still catching up. House and Electro music has grown quite a bit, but it is still not what a lot of the mainstream masses are listening to. However, the scene is continuing to grow quickly, especially among the younger generation. I believe that because Voyeur is focused more on the music that it is going to have a lot of staying power in San Diego. The more Electronic Music acts we book, the tighter grip we hold on the entire scene in San Diego. I think this is going to give us a huge advantage moving forward. 

DSD: On a personal note, what is your industry background? How did you get into the nightlife industry, and how did you end up running the show at Voyeur?
NM: I got into the industry through one of my best friends, Errol Ascuncion. One of the greatest people in San Diego, he quickly introduced me to more people and parties than I knew possible. Within a month of living with the guy, I quit my job in real estate and took a job as a bouncer at Maloneys Tavern. I worked my way up through the ranks at Yard House, Confidential, and Stingaree, Hard Rock and finally Jack's in La Jolla. I got really lucky at Voyeur. When I first approached Johnny Shockey (my boss and the brains behind Voyeur), he said he was content with his two hosts. They opened without me and were doing really well. One night, I was at Syrah hanging with a friend/client and ran into Johnny. It turned out the client and Johnny were also good friends. I guess they talked about me for a while because the next day I got a call and the rest is history. I feel lucky to be where I am.

DSD: When you’re not working at Voyeur, where do you party in San Diego?
NM: On my nights off, I am more of a bar guy. I live at the beach and I'd rather grab a bar stool with some buds at Thrusters, PB Shore Club, or Firehouse. I really think the new BeachWood is gonna be sick too! If I'm out downtown, and I'm not at Voyeur, you're more likely to catch me at Side Bar than anywhere else. Vinny, Ali, Errol, and Mikey G always take care of me. I have always enjoyed going somewhere that I feel welcome as opposed to going somewhere just to be seen.

Want In? To go VIP at Voyeur in San Diego please call 866.376.3128 tonight!

See for Yourself: View new Voyeur party photos in our San Diego photo gallery.

Discover all the best parties and events at Voyeur on our San Diego events calendar!

**Nick Mascetta is pictured top left beside Voyeur's signature L.E.D. wall