The 7 Greatest Rock Shows Performed in an American Casino
Rock music is good for your soul. It can soothe, energize, console and motivate you to be productive in your laziest of times.
Rock as a jack-of-all-trades balm likely explains why the genre has so many fans, especially in Las Vegas where tours stop regularly.
In this post we’ll list the best rock concerts to ever take place in the state of Nevada. Intrigued? Read on.
Elvis Presley at the International Hotel (1969)
The King! When Elvis traveled down to the International Hotel — now West Gate Las Vegas — in July 31, 1969, he was welcomed by 1,500 fans, a small audience by his standards but capacity for the venue at the time. What’s more, he was performing in front of a live audience for the first time in three years.
When he got on stage, Elvis started on a nervous note. A Newsweek article of the performance says the King quivered for a few minutes before settling in. But when he started performing his hits — “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock” and the like — the crowd erupted in cheers and jubilation.
The Ultimate Casino Maps Guide Plus the Beatles in 1964
Nevada has been the gambling capital of the world for a long time now. It has 345 locations at which you can play slots, card games or bet on sports. You can find a list of all these locations in one place: the best American casino guide by state and city. It shows you directions of all casinos in Clark County and the surrounding areas.
Las Vegas hasn’t always had so many casinos, though. In fact, when the Beatles toured Sin City in 1964, they struggled to find a casino large enough for their fans. As a result, they opted to perform at the Las Vegas Convention Center, a government building that held 200,000 fans.
The band stayed at the Sahara Hotel casino, though. And there are reports that Paul, George, Ringo and John all played slots before they went on stage. Regarding their performance, nearly everyone who attended the event agreed that it was epic.
Kiss at Sahara Las Vegas, April 29, 1975
Two years after Kiss emerged, they got an offer to perform at the Sahara Space Center. Get this: they were only paid $700 for that show, a far cry from the literal millions they spend on pyrotechnics alone nowadays. Kiss were relatively unknown at the time, but after promoter Gary Naseef invested in TV ads showing the members in their trademark gear — and Gene Simmons’ tongue dripping blood — Kiss managed to sell out all 4,500 seats at the venue.
Unfortunately, the show was nearly ruined by the night’s opening band —Rush — whose subpar performance allegedly drove everybody out of the showroom. When Kiss got on stage for their first performance of the night, though, the fans came back. The band held a second concert at 2am.
Radiohead at the Aladdin Hotel and Casino in Oct 28, 1993
In 1993, Radiohead were a new rock band with one album to their name, touring on the success of their sole hit, “Creep.” So when they got a chance to open for the English pop rock band Tears for Fears, they took it without a second thought.
There were 5,000 fans at the Aladdin Hotel and Casino that night, but few for Radiohead: they were there to witness Tears for Fears perform, and the audience let Radiohead know it. Sure, they might not have had many fans in the audience, but at least a few people appreciated their stage presence. While there were rumors the group would return to Las Vegas soon afterward, they haven’t been back to Las Vegas since.
Grateful Dead at the Sahara Las Vega, March 29, 1969
Like Kiss, the Grateful Dead’s most memorable performance in Las Vegas was their first. Unlike Kiss, though, the band were visiting the Ice Rink at the Sahara Events Center as an already famous band. For this concert, Grateful Dead appeared with an intention to offer a unique experience: intense jamming.
Although Grateful Dead had a few hits at the time, they were still a relatively new band. Their first show was only four years before their Las Vegas gig. However, they had already performed at the Mantra Rock Dance, a festival that elevated them into the mainstream media and earned them their Vegas gig.
Interestingly, Grateful Dead recorded their entire performance at the Sahara, a move that proved profitable over time. On the one hand, the rock songs circulated around the country. On the flip side, the recorded songs are now available online, giving their fans the chance to listen to these hits throughout their lives.
The Doors at the Las Vegas Ice Palace, 1967
Now known as the Sahara Events Center, the Ice Palace has hosted numerous rock concerts over the years (see above!). The 1969 performance by the Doors was heavily anticipated, and unfortunately for the wrong reasons. For starters, the band’s lead singer, Jim Morrison, had been charged with indecent exposure, drunkenness and profanity a year earlier.
As a result, the Las Vegas district attorney at the time was keen to arrest Morrison during his band’s visit if he stepped even slightly out of line. In fact, the band’s promoter said there were more police offers back stage than he had ever seen before. All the same, Jim performed one of his band’s hits — “When the Music’s Over” — for nearly an hour before leaving the stage.
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