Beefed-up security – with twice as many bouncers wielding metal-detection wands – will greet the herd at Lace Gentlemen’s Club and Restaurant in Wayne, where adult-film star Stormy Daniels will dance on Thursday.
Meanwhile, officials charged with ensuring public safety shrugged off her upcoming performance.
Daniels, 39, whose real name is Stephanie A. Gregory Clifford, will take the stage of the strip club, at 24 Galesi Drive, at 10:30 p.m. and midnight. Doors open at 7 p.m.
It is the next stop on Daniels’ cross-country jaunt from club to club, which she has dubbed, “Make America Horny Again” – a not-so-subtle thumb to the nose toward President Donald Trump, and the slogan he used during his 2016 campaign.
Controversy swirling around Daniels, and her legal dispute with the president over an alleged affair, has fired up staff at Lace, said its co-manager, Daryl Robinson.
“It’s exciting for us,” Robinson said, “because it’s going to be a very busy night.”
Still, Robinson said, Daniels’ upcoming performance has necessitated the club to revisit its security protocol. He said the club will bring on at least four bouncers, instead of two, to ensure it is “covered from every corner.” He also said there will be twice as many bartenders and “shot girls.”
Because the club serves alcohol, it is a “bikini bar,” and no nudity is allowed.
Robinson said the club will strictly enforce customers’ use of cell phones.
“We’re going to keep a watchful eye to make sure they’re not sneaking a picture, or anything like that,” Robinson said. “Privacy of the girls is one of our main concerns.”
Robinson said the club booked Daniels in January, about the time her feud with the president ignited. He said the club began promoting it on its website in February.
“It turned out to be a lot bigger than what we anticipated,” said Robinson, who would not disclose how much Daniels is being paid.
Robinson said the club has a strong rapport with Daniels’ booking agent, Florida-based A-List Features, which also helped it to secure an appearance next month by adult-film star Dani Daniels – no relation to Stormy – for Lace’s 10th anniversary celebration.
Robinson said that more than half of the 200 tickets available for Stormy Daniels’ performance have been sold. He said he expected the show to sell out. Tickets cost $25 in advance, or $30 at the door.
Robinson said the club has a maximum occupancy of 300 people, including staff. He said he also assumes Daniels will bring an entourage.
Robinson said the club has “never” broken the fire code for occupancy. And, Gregory Velardi, the township’s fire marshal, did not seem concerned about the possibility of it happening on Thursday.
“It’s not our responsibility to supervise their event,” Velardi said. “They’re aware of their occupancy, and they have to hold to it. If they exceed it, they’re subject to penalties. We’re not going to be at every venue. I don’t have the manpower to do that. Believe me – if they’re overcrowded, someone will call.”
Police Chief James Clarke also did not seem worried about a disturbance at the club. “If we get a call for service,” he said, “we’ll deal with it, accordingly.”
But, Daniels’ appearances at strip clubs have caused commotion in some cases. Trump supporters demonstrated outside of a club where she performed in Florida in April, and last month, at a club in Ohio, she was arrested for allegedly caressing undercover police officers’ faces with her bare breasts – charges that later were dropped.
“That’s why we’re going to have extra bouncers – to make sure we don’t have an issue, like they had in Ohio,” Robinson said.
“We don’t want to end up having the night ruined because of something stupid, like that,” he added. “We want everyone to come out, have a great time and keep it clean.”
