Q:
With the recent commercial success of Imagine Dragons and The Killers (both Las Vegas bands who cut their teeth playing in town), how can a music-lover stay abreast of other bands playing around town who may be good enough to make it to the big time? (How awesome is would have been to see either of these bands before they got so popular...)
A:
As we wrote only yesterday in Today's News, Las Vegas has really come into its own as a music mecca in recent years, with the upcoming Life is Beautiful Festival downtown this October serving as confirmation of the city's commitment to shaking off that "Vegas has no culture" tag that seemingly applied for many years.
Some suggestions in answer to your question:
- Open Mic Nights: There are a number of bars and other venues around town that host regular or irregular open mic sessions, where you may get to spot some upcoming talent ahead of the R&R men. Well-established locals watering holes, like the Freakin' Frog, Cellar Lounge, Money Plays, and relative newcomer The Beat Coffeehouse are examples -- check out their websites or give 'em a call for upcoming-event schedules, plus visit openmiclasvegas.com for more ideas (we recommend always calling ahead, since schedules alter and venues change ownership with frequency in this town, so we'd hate for you to have a wasted trip.
- Check out some of the smaller live-music venues, too, where you may catch bands who are a little more established, but still on the pub circuit. Examples include Fremont Street's Beauty Bar, the (currently shuttered but reopening later in the year) Bunkhouse, plus the newer Artifice, and even newer Fremont Country Club, all three of which are also located downtown, plus the infamous Double Down Saloon (near the airport), The Dive Bar (Maryland Pkwy, in UNLVland), Count's Vamp'd (W. Sahara), or the Cheyenne Saloon in North Las Vegas. While there are also still plenty of active casino lounges, you're more likely to catch an upcoming local act somewhere off the Strip. Henderson has a vibrant live-music scene, too; for example, catch the Scream It Like You Mean It Tour in the Event Plaza this Oct. 22, just ahead of Life Is Beautiful.
- Our third recommendation is to mark your calendar for all the music festivals that take place throughotu the year, of which the aforementioned Life is Beautiful (Oct. 26-27) promises to be the granddaddy and will feature nationally known local-grown talent, including the Killers and Imagine Dragons, plus some up-and-coming acts (there was a monthly contest seeking new talent, with the prize being an on-stage performance at LIB, so there's a good opportunity to catch a new band/performer on the cusp of possible breakthrough). In addition, we have Neon Reverb, which takes place in various downtown venues in the early spring and is a great opportunity for catching new local bands (plus, their website features listings of cool upcoming gigs at the kinds of venues mentioned in the previous paragraph throughout the year, so definitely check it out. And as a final suggestion, Rock 'n Roll Wine, local purveyors of music and booze, host events of various sizes throughout the year, including an annual reggae bash, so be sure to keep an eye on their event calendar, too.
We hope that's given you some food for thought. If we're missing something, give us a shout!
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