Big-name music and the bright lights of Las Vegas have gone hand in hand since the development of the Strip. In the years since then, a number of bands and performers have owed their popularity to the exposure that they gained in playing the large clubs and entertainment venues in the iconic Nevada town.
The social connection
The birth of jazz and a host of jazz musicians gained wider audiences through the connection with the smoky back-alley speakeasies of the Prohibition era. Perhaps that kind of backdrop infuses a certain feel and allure into the music, and in that sense, the two worlds have become interwoven.
This pairing of music and social entertainment continues in the modern-day, despite the steady rise in popularity of internet entertainment alternatives, streaming music, and sites like spinpalace.com offering an easy and fun way to enjoy games. The great thing is the people can enjoy that Vegas feeling wherever they are in a unique way.
In Vegas, like many other entertainment strips, bands and big-name touring acts draw large audiences, and many entertainers have found long-term residencies on the Strip. DJ’s have begun to emerge in the musical program as something of a nod to modern times and popular culture.
Iconic names and the Strip
From the days of its development in Nevada, the Strip blossomed in an explosion of lavish, luxury establishments. It was something of a grand vision – an ocean of kaleidoscopic light and color set against the open starkness of desert, enticing people in with an experience that dazzled the senses.
Perhaps in that sense, it lent itself to being the perfect stage for big-name acts, and it gave rise to iconic voices like Elvis Presley, Sammy Davis Jnr., Frank Sinatra, and the ‘Rat Pack’.
Over the years that followed, a series of bands and performers played there and further cemented their careers as a result.
Modern-day bands who made it big in Vegas
The tradition of Las Vegas as the motherlode for starting entertainers’ careers has continued through the decades up to the modern-day. Perhaps it is a sign of the times and the rise of commercial or ‘processed’ bands and acts that the days of musical icons like Presley and Sinatra has passed. Nevertheless, a number of present-day bands owe their success to their performances on the Vegas strip.
Soloist Celine Dion found a performance residency in Vegas, which saw her shows earn over $400 million over a four-year period.
Imagine Dragons, with Vegas-raised lead vocalist Dan Reynolds, rose from the Las Vegas venues, going on to garner gold and platinum awards since their start in 2008.
Formed in Las Vegas, ‘The Killers’ played to packed houses on the Strip and made a name for themselves as a result. Similarly, ‘Panic! At The Disco’ found their fortunes in performances in their Nevada hometown.
Summary
From the early days of the back alley speakeasy’s, to the rise of extravagant Las Vegas strip, music and music performance has remained intimately intertwined and has risen from being the soundtrack to the star attraction.
