Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Cafe on Paradise Road and LVCS set to close

Not much boot scootin’ went down there, unless we’re talking about those of the combat variety.

No, the Las Vegas Country Saloon didn’t live up to its name for very long, which is why it consequently became known as LVCS. Instead, the downtown music venue, nestled above Hennessey’s on the far east end of the Fremont Street Experience, became more known for its hip-hop, punk and metal shows over the years.

It was the latter scene that the venue became an especially important outlet for, hosting the Las Vegas Death Fest the past several years and consistently bringing in top-notch tours that might not have hit Vegas otherwise.

It’s a bummer, then, that LVCS is closing on Jan. 1 after 10 years, its lease not being renewed.

And it’s not the only Vegas venue closing that day: The Hard Rock Cafe on Paradise Road is also shuttering.

I didn’t see many shows at the Hard Rock Cafe, but the place hosted a lot of locals over the years, and is ending its run with one of Vegas’ best live acts, funky jam troupe Moksha, which will play there on Saturday.

The LVCS is a different story.

I went to countless memorable gigs there, chief among them: the Dwarves and Municipal Waste laying waste to the room during Punk Rock Bowling 2012; The Vermin donning the “Clockwork Orange”-inspired Droog get-ups of Brit punks the Adicts, goofing on the band after they canceled a Neon Reverb 2010 appearance and were abusive to a local promoter; Florida death metal legends Obituary meting out riffs that registered like cannonballs to the gut in November 2014; two of the best metal bills of 2016 when Belphegor and Dark Tranquility ravaged the place in August and December, respectively.

The venue will certainly be missed.

Before they’re gone for good, however, here are a few goodbyes from some of the Vegas musicians who played both places over the years:

“The Hard Rock Cafe at the Hard Rock Hotel was the hub for so many great memories. Personally, I spent every Monday night there for about three years (2013-2016) showcasing local, regional and touring bands and singer-songwriters at the Gibson Acoustic Asylum Showcase. So many great nights watching working musicians play songs they wanted to and not ones they had to. It was amazing watching young emerging talent blossom into professionals like Cameron Calloway and Santiago LaRochelle, to name a couple. Our nights were havens for those who were looking for a welcome place to network, for expression and the sheer enjoyment of sharing music. I made some great new friends there, we lost some there, too, but it was always real and cool to be there. Gonna miss that place a lot.”

— Rick Duarte, Frequency Entertainment co-owner

“Life’s Torment has performed at LVCS quite a few times since its inception. We had great gigs sharing the stage with Napalm Death, Raw Power, Macabre, Ringworm, Downset and others. Always had a decent time and the staff were always super friendly. It was a good run. Hats off!”

— Larry Brough, Life’s Torment singer-guitarist

“The best thing about playing the Hard Rock is that people would shut up and listen. It kind of reminded me of playing in Nashville. There was some really amazing talent that went through there. Can’t say that I have any one great memory that sticks out there other than just some really great music, exceptional sound system and sound men. I do remember when one sound guy, who was like Britney Spears’ front-of-the-house guy or something, spent about 30 minutes dialing in the EQ on my acoustic. I was playing this old ‘55 Gibson Country Western, and I don’t think it ever sounded that good. The last show I played there was this past summer during the Hellcats car show with a side band that I’m in called HTO (Heers Turner Oversize). There’s a video on our Facebook page of us doing George Jones and Prince back to back there. It was a great night.”

— Chris Heers, singer-songwriter

“The LVCS was probably our favorite place to play in town. Can’t think of just one great show we have played there, but the Obituary show and the Nile show were personally two of my favorites. Will miss playing there, but will not miss the stage ramp from hell. That thing was brutal!”

— Paul Brady, Spun in Darkness bassist

“My favorite show at the Hard Rock Cafe would have to be the Bad Cop/Bad Cop, Bombpops, Murderland show I put on in 2015. Somehow, the hodgepodge of confused tourists, bemused staff, a handful of out-of-town fans and about 50 Vegas heads turned into a really fun intimate show with some awesome music. Besides the shows, the Hard Rock is where all us boys from the People’s Whiskey got our first taste of the world outside of the Henderson swamp and were introduced to the Vegas scene 10 years ago working as busers together. Definitely a seminal spot in town for me and my friends.”

— Cody Leavitt, The People’s Whiskey singer-bassist

“We’re very saddened to hear of the closing of LVCS, as well as the Hard Rock Cafe. Both venues hold both endearing and memorable moments for us. LVCS is very dear to us. Thank you for providing great hospitality to each band and assisting in every way possible. Thank you for making each show a great and memorable experience for both bands and supporters.”

— Doom metallers Spiritual Shepherd

Read more from Jason Bracelin at reviewjournal.com. Contact him at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com and follow @JasonBracelin on Twitter.