Linq To Rock Hard

Blinking off the post-Obama celebration hangover (if you want to shout "Yes We Did!, that's fine, just try not to be too loud around me today), I was browsing the interwebz and noticed that a few more venues have been announced for the upcoming Linq Project in the middle of The Strip, which is basically a gaping construction sight next to an in-the-middle of renovation Imperial Palace at the moment.

The Tequila Ranch Western Bar, World of Coke Store (which already has a location under a giant Soda-Pop bottle at The Showcase Mall), and Ghiradelli Chocolate Company (a San Francisco landmark that Chocoholics will fiend for) are all going to occupy store-fronts in the entertainment district in the foot of a giant Ferris Wheel, but the most exciting addition is also a big surprise... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Yes, there is already a massive Rock Hall in Cleveland, and no details have been released about the new one opening in Las Vegas. VegasChatter speculates that it will be some kind of off-shoot of the original version, which makes a lot of sense but also explains very little. What form of offshoot will it take? What will be included in this museum that's not included in the one in Ohio?

While it can be assumed that the new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame won't be a replacement for the original (because there won't be space to build anything nearly as large as the original and because nobody from Cleveland's Tourism Bureau seems to be in a panic about losing the one of the few reasons you'd ever want to go to Cleveland in the first place), the fact is that Las Vegas is a much more appropriate town for such a museum. Sure, the song Cleveland Rocks is totally a real song that actually exists, but the sentiment expressed in said tune is surely at least half-ironic (plus, it's association with ultra-square 90's sitcom The Drew Carey Show hasn't done much for its reputation). Either way, Las Vegas is a whole lot more rock n' roll than most cities that aren't Cleveland, what with its devotion to debauchery, open container laws, and the fact that its very nickname is Sin City.

So while it's too early to tell exactly what will be included in the Vegas Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, one can hope that it's as respectfully curated as the original one is in Cleveland (and that it's not just a kitschy Hard Rock Cafe, since the city already has not just one of those on The Strip but also features a Hard  Rock Hotel and Casino located just off Las Vegas Blvd.). Nobody has confirmed if any acts will be inducted into the hallowed ranks of rock history at the Vegas location in addition to the yearly, elaborate Cleveland ceremonies (which this past year notably featured an Axl-less Guns N' Roses, the exact inverse of the current Slash-less GNR currently in residency at The Hard  Rock Hotel and Casino... full circle! ) One thing that's nearly guaranteed is that the Rock Hall Vegas will include a live venue. Combined with the already announced Brooklyn Bowl, this will make The Linq a very rock-centric little slice of Las Vegas indeed, not something that was expected from Caesar's original plans that seemed to appeal more to middle class families than dangerous Rock Gods and their devoted fans. This means The Linq might actually be a very cool little area to see some great live music after strolling through a museum devoted to rock history. Granted, these venues will be side by side with some very un-rock n' roll chains (while The Yard House features an admirable devotion to Beer, it's hardly sinful Rock Bacchanal and more like The Cheesecake Factory with a big Suds list). So serious celebrations of Rock N' Roll rebellion will rub shoulders with happy families and yuppie tourists. It's a contradiction that's just oh-so-Vegas.

A Little Piece of Brooklyn is Heading to The Strip

The Linq Project, currently under construction in the middle of The Strip (and the reason that beloved low stakes and cheap booze casino O'Sheas had to close), with its previously announced tenants that include a giant Ferris Wheel and Yard House restaurant, seems to be aimed squarely at mass audiences. There was no sign that anything cool or edgy was part of the plan, until yesterday when a more complete list of venues opening at The Linq was announced and The Brooklyn Bowl was intriguingly and unexpectedly included amongst them.

The original Brooklyn Bowl is, as its name implies, a bowling alley in Brooklyn. But it's also a concert venue in which interesting and cutting edge acts perform, where ?uestlove from The Roots DJs and curates a weekly party, bands like Lucero and Yelawolf are on the calendar of upcoming shows, and acts like like Chairlift, The Drums, White Denim, Real Estate, and Maya Rudolph (performing the hits of Prince with backing band The Roots!) have put on shows in recent months. So yeah, this is a place that books more interesting and eclectic acts than most Las Vegas venues, to say the least.

Bringing a venue like The BB to The Strip makes a certain amount of sense. The Cosmopolitan has seen some success booking hip up and coming acts like Best Coast and Fitz and the Tantrums for free to the public gigs at their small Book and Stage venue and bigger indie bands like Grouplove, The XX, and The Shins at their Boulevard Pool. The original Brooklyn Bowl isn't exactly tiny, but it's also by no means a massive theater appropriate for hosting the giant mainstream acts most Vegas venues usually stick with (I can't imagine Celine Dion or Rod Stewart will move from across the street Caesars and play at The Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas, but Elton John could maybe put on a more stripped-down and intimate show than his over the top Million Dollar Piano spectacle if he felt like it), so it only makes sense to expect the bookers to continue the original venue's eclectic lineup.

So does the opening of The BB in Las Vegas mean that  a Brooklyn invasion of The Strip is imminent? Probably not, as The Linq's other just announced venues include The Tilted Kilt (a chain that meshes Irish Pub and Hooters styles, so you'll basically be served by scantily clad hot lady waitresses in kilts), Chayo Mexicano (an upscale Mexican joint), Ruby Blue (a fashiony jewelery store), Flour and Barley (a pizza joint), and Sprinkles Cupcakes and Ice Cream (a delicious gourmet sweets import from Beverly Hills, but one that's more yuppie-centric than hipster baiting). Nary an artisinal Cheese shop, fair trade Coffee shop, Organic Butcher, or Craft-Brewery amongst them, so it seems like if hipsters are finally invading The Strip, it's a very slow invasion.

I think the owners of Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas have a real opportunity to cultivate the same hip and "curious" audiences that The Cosmo and many Downtown venues have been courting if they curate their shows smartly. Bowling plus indie rock is an irresistible pairing, and using a venue that combines both to bring a bit of Brooklyn cool to The Strip might turn out to be a stroke of genius. And perhaps Artisinal Cheese Shops on The Strip will not be so far behind.