When you think about great music towns, no one ever calls out Las Vegas. In fact, people often think of Vegas as the place where great artists go to collect major cash AFTER their careers have peaked. The public wants to believe it's where music goes to die.The reality is that Vegas is a great fucking town for local music. Following a show at Bunkhouse (more on that below), rapper Marion Write told us, "We're Vegas and no one looks to us for it, but it'd be cool if this could be acknowledged as a great music breeding town for rock, hip-hop, and country. We have all of it. Vegas is a big entertainment city and has INSANE talent, but never quite gets the props like other cities."
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Write's totally correct. The hottest performers have been stopping by regularly for decades. Some of the best DJs in the world have long-standing residencies on the Strip. Countless locals grew up in homes with parents who are singers, musicians, dancers… you think any of that doesn't leave a mark? GTFOH.It should be noted that quite a few of the bars mentioned in WHERE TO DRINK (Commonwealth, Velveteen Rabbit, Golden Tiki, and the Griffin) also regularly host live music. We've placed them above because they're great places to get a drink as much (maybe more so) than a place for enjoying music. At the end of the day, this is Vegas. There's music everywhere.
Bunkhouse Saloon
Hard Rock Live
Yes, we understand that Hard Rock is a huge corporation. But music is at the core of what it does, so the venue is on point. Big acts come through, but Hard Rock Live is also surprisingly great at promoting undiscovered local acts, especially DJs. That being said, security is strict, and guards will get in your face if you start acting up. Drinks won't come cheap, but that's to be expected with just about any place on the Strip. Brooklyn Bowl
The Vegas offshoot of the much-loved Brooklyn venue has been greeted with open arms by the city. The space has maintained an indie quality despite setting up shop in the LINQ Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. This being Vegas, however, there's still the option of VIP and bottle service. Local artists consider it one of their favorite venues not only for performing, but for attending live shows. The Bunkhouse Saloon
Bunkhouse has always been supportive of local artists, but it never got much shine. Despite the Western theme, you can catch some of the town's best off-Strip music (especially hip-hop) shows here. On a recent night, rapper Marion Write, singers Pyramid Ron and Deena Jeaux, guitarists Dominick Hill and Devrin Allen, spoken-word artist Danni McQueen, along with drummer Josh Gibbs and local artists Goose and Marcus Harris, collaborated on a last-minute secret show to a packed house. There was no cover charge, and the drinks were cheap. The crowd was lively and engaged, but still chill enough that some random dude spent the night painting in a corner by the stage. In a town full of contradictions, Bunkhouse fits right in. Las Vegas Country Saloon
Continuing on our tour of Western-themed bars that refuse to be pigeonholed, LVCS is definitely not a country saloon. Yes, there's a mechanical bull, and, yes, the décor would lead you to believe as much when the place is empty, but LVCS hosts everything from punk to hip-hop to everything in-between. Maybe you want to see the Dead Kennedys or maybe you want to catch the Men of Steele (Not a metal band. Just a band of male strippers). The choice is yours. The space is a little grungier than some of the other Vegas venues, but that's why we like it.
Yes, we understand that Hard Rock is a huge corporation. But music is at the core of what it does, so the venue is on point. Big acts come through, but Hard Rock Live is also surprisingly great at promoting undiscovered local acts, especially DJs. That being said, security is strict, and guards will get in your face if you start acting up. Drinks won't come cheap, but that's to be expected with just about any place on the Strip. Brooklyn Bowl
The Vegas offshoot of the much-loved Brooklyn venue has been greeted with open arms by the city. The space has maintained an indie quality despite setting up shop in the LINQ Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. This being Vegas, however, there's still the option of VIP and bottle service. Local artists consider it one of their favorite venues not only for performing, but for attending live shows. The Bunkhouse Saloon
Bunkhouse has always been supportive of local artists, but it never got much shine. Despite the Western theme, you can catch some of the town's best off-Strip music (especially hip-hop) shows here. On a recent night, rapper Marion Write, singers Pyramid Ron and Deena Jeaux, guitarists Dominick Hill and Devrin Allen, spoken-word artist Danni McQueen, along with drummer Josh Gibbs and local artists Goose and Marcus Harris, collaborated on a last-minute secret show to a packed house. There was no cover charge, and the drinks were cheap. The crowd was lively and engaged, but still chill enough that some random dude spent the night painting in a corner by the stage. In a town full of contradictions, Bunkhouse fits right in. Las Vegas Country Saloon
Continuing on our tour of Western-themed bars that refuse to be pigeonholed, LVCS is definitely not a country saloon. Yes, there's a mechanical bull, and, yes, the décor would lead you to believe as much when the place is empty, but LVCS hosts everything from punk to hip-hop to everything in-between. Maybe you want to see the Dead Kennedys or maybe you want to catch the Men of Steele (Not a metal band. Just a band of male strippers). The choice is yours. The space is a little grungier than some of the other Vegas venues, but that's why we like it.
Artifice
Artifice
Catch some local acts while enjoying some local art. Artifice has what it refers to as an "eclectic mix" of musical acts. This couldn't be more true. A typical week this month consists of Las Vegas's longest running "goth, industrial, deathrock, dark 80s" event, followed by a burlesque show the next day. Check the calendar, and check your expectations at the door. The Olive Hookah Bar
Everything about Olive is weird. It's in a strip mall. It's a lounge. There's hookah. There's an adjoining Mediterranean restaurant. There's live music. What? But the small stage at Olive is where local musicians like to test out some of their new stuff before taking it to larger venues. The weirdly bohemian vibe gives it a coffee shop feel, whether there's a hip-hop act or Latin jazz on the stage.
Catch some local acts while enjoying some local art. Artifice has what it refers to as an "eclectic mix" of musical acts. This couldn't be more true. A typical week this month consists of Las Vegas's longest running "goth, industrial, deathrock, dark 80s" event, followed by a burlesque show the next day. Check the calendar, and check your expectations at the door. The Olive Hookah Bar
Everything about Olive is weird. It's in a strip mall. It's a lounge. There's hookah. There's an adjoining Mediterranean restaurant. There's live music. What? But the small stage at Olive is where local musicians like to test out some of their new stuff before taking it to larger venues. The weirdly bohemian vibe gives it a coffee shop feel, whether there's a hip-hop act or Latin jazz on the stage.