Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Madison Square Garden, and is also home to boxing matches and other
sporting events. The Grand Garden's most famous moment was the Mike
Tyson/Evander Holyfield ear incident.
u
Mandalay Bay Events Center
5
(in Mandalay Bay;
%
877/632
-
7800 or
702/632
-
7580; www.mandalaybay.com)
has stadium-style seating for 12,000
and often hosts boxing matches and other sporting events.
u
The
Theater for Performing Arts
(in Planet Hollywood;
%
877/333
-
9474
or 702/785
-
5000; www.planethollywood.com)
was being renovated when this
was written, as the Aladdin is changing over to Planet Hollywood. It can
hold up to 7,000.
u
The
Thomas & Mack Center
(4505 S. Maryland Pkwy.;
%
702/895
-
3900;
www.thomasandmack.com),
which holds 18,000, has that hot-dog-in-a-
stadium atmosphere, which is appropriate considering it's home to the
University of Nevada-Las Vegas' Rebels basketball team. It also brings in
other sporting events, car and truck shows, the rodeo, and, of course, con-
certs and festivals.
u
Sam Boyd Stadium
(7000 E. Russell Rd.;
%
702/895
-
3900; www.thomas
andmack.com),
which is affiliated with the Thomas & Mack Center, holds a
whopping 40,000, making it the home to the annual Vegoose music festival,
held in late October, which draws in alternative and rock bands and fans
from across the country. Sam Boyd is outdoors, so it can be risky, weather-
wise, and parking tends to be a nightmare.
SLIGHTLY SMALLER VENUES
u
House of Blues
55
(in Mandalay Bay;
%
702/632
-
7600; www.mandalay
bay.com)
brings in the most varied lineup in town, from the largely
unknown (The Sound of Animals Fighting) to classics (James Brown) with
tickets that are occasionally affordable at prices below $20 (though tickets to
see mainstream bands are never that low). With three bars, multiple levels,
and a maximum occupancy of 1,800 there's an intimacy to HOB that you
Music on the Beach
Leave your shoes on the sandy beach and let the waves lap at your legs as
you dance to the poppy tunes of the Go-Gos, or other light and grooving
bands, who take over the stage in the middle of this 1.6 million gallon
wave pool. The
Mandalay Beach Summer Concert Series
55
(in Mandalay
Bay;
%
877/632-7000 or 702/632-7777; May-Sept)
is my all-time favorite
spot to take in shows. Tickets are more affordable than most venues, usu-
ally costing less than $50. And there's no assigned seating. Grab a towel
and pop a squat in the sand or dance in the warm waters at Mandalay's 11-
acre pool area. The series brings in summery bands such as Counting Crows,
The Beach Boys, Pat Benatar, and Los Lonely Boys.
