The energy of bands playing in front of a couple of thousand people instead of 20,000 or more people is unlike any other concert experience. Before big arena tours, popular rock bands would play a handful of intimate shows in small venues. On my last visit to the Hard Rock, I compared the vibe to an environment similar to a warm-up concert for an arena band. As you’d imagine, the property was quiet on an afternoon just before closing.

The music was always loud and rocking and there was just so much energy in the small casino. The casino was full of LA rockers visiting for the weekend or people that just saw a concert at The Joint. The atmosphere at the Hard Rock used to be amazing. Photograph ©2020 Marc Meltzer | The craps table I first played was somewhere near this part of the Hard Rock casino We rarely left the Vegas Strip but a visit of a couple of hours to the Hard Rock was almost always in the cards. The Hard Rock (and/or Palms) was a destination casino for my friends and I. I didn’t start visiting Las Vegas until a few years after it opened. The Hard Rock opened in 1995 and became one of my favorite casinos for about 10 years. It’s funny that a casino that I’ve rarely visited in the past five years stirred up so much emotion. The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas is finally closing. Photograph ©2020 Marc Meltzer | Welcome to the Hard Rock Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas

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