One of the first people I met when I moved to Las Vegas was Craig Nyman. He does a lot of things but his passion for music is something that I haven’t found in many people in this town and it’s awesome. He has a blog called Do You Hear The Music and has written concert reviews for a couple other outlets.
People often ask me where the best places to see bands in Vegas are so I figured I’d go to someone who’s out seeing bands much more often than me. Craig hit the places that I would recommend and then some. Enjoy and follow him on twitter.
It just so happens that I live in the city known as the Entertainment Capital of the World. And as such, I will never pass up the opportunity to catch live music in Las Vegas. Here’s a list of some of the spots I frequent.
House of Blues
When Mandalay Bay opened in 1999 and brought the House of Blues to Las Vegas, a new era for live music in the city was born. Today, HOB is still regarded as one of the top venues in town to see a concert continuously booking a multitude of acts ranging from rock and blues to metal and electronic artists, no genre of music is shunned. (Photo: UrbanPhotos)
Hard Rock Hotel: The Joint and Vinyl
The “new” Joint has put itself on the map as one of the best concert venues in the country and at a max capacity 4,000 you regularly have the chance to see major bands that typically play 12,000-15,000 seat arenas in an intimate setting. Plus the acoustics and sight lines are second to none so you’re going to have an incredible experience at The Joint. (Photo: Sceno Plus)
The newest live music venue, Vinyl is by far one of the best places to catch a show in Las Vegas. The tiny spot gets rocking with a killer sound system and bands seem to respond well to the intimate confines and getting up close and personal with fans.
Quintuplet threat at The Cosmopolitan
You’ve got the BLVD Pool, The Chelsea, Chandelier, Book & Stage and BOND. All five spots play host to live music from rocking concerts under the neon glow of the Las Vegas Strip to a jazz quartet at the sultry Chandelier, you can’t go wrong. I’ve seen some of my favorite concerts at this hotel. I could list them all but it’d go on for too long. Instead just visit my blog www.doyouhearthemusic.com and do a search. (Photo: Vegas News)
The Pearl at Palms
Real simple, great acoustics, solid sight lines, amazing shows in a small venue. With the ability to scale from 1,100 to 2,400 every show I’ve seen at The Pearl has been great. Cool fact, the venue is hard-wired into the recording studio upstairs at Palms; so you never know if that concert you attended may just be released as a live album by your favorite artist.
Hard Rock Café on The Strip
Chances are you haven’t been and that’s your first mistake. This 1,000 cap venue in the middle of The Strip gets some rocking shows and is a great room to catch a concert.
Double Down
A 24/7 Institution. Grab yourself a Bacon Martini or some Ass Juice and embrace the legendary Double Down. Always open and always a good time with a slew of bands performing each night the only thing guaranteed is really not knowing what will happen when you step foot inside the happiest place on earth! (Photo: Vegas Seven)
Downtown Spots
- Beauty Bar: Until recently, Beauty Bar was THE up and coming indie acts and while the competition has been getting a little fierce, the venue still does a kick ass job of bringing in the stars of tomorrow before. With an intimate stage inside and a backyard patio outside, you get two different experiences at Beauty Bar.
- Commonwealth: The new kids on Fremont are cracking into live music with Sundays devoted to performances from talented local musicians. Add in the regular appearances by some awesome DJs and Commonwealth is quickly becoming a place to see sheer talent.
- Insert Coin(s): Awesome DJs, video games and stiff drinks – in just two years IC has marked its place on the map for entertainment in Las Vegas.
- Artifice: I love this place, what else can I say. It’s cozy, the staff is awesome and you can see some kick ass shows in this spot.
- The Bunkhouse: If you’ve never been, put this on your list pronto.