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The Sand Dollar Downtown at the Plaza is leaving its mark on the local music scene.
Monday, June 13, 2022 | 2 a.m.
It’s always one of the busiest places to be anywhere in Las Vegas, but the casino-lined Fremont Street Experience certainly comes alive every summer with the return of the annual Downtown Rocks free concert series. Pop-reggae star Shaggy just performed on the 3rd Street Stage Saturday night as part of the inaugural Luau Wow party, and next up is an alternative rock bill with The Calling, Dishwalla and 10,000 Maniacs on June 25, followed by a July 4 classic rock extravaganza starring Molly Hatchet, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Mackenzie Porter. (Find more information at vegasexperience.com.)
But two new venues on Fremont Street have added different and dynamic live entertainment offerings to the area, stuff you don’t usually catch in the comedy clubs and smaller casino showrooms that have defined the downtown scene.
Along the Fremont East Entertainment District on the other side of Las Vegas Boulevard, Corner Bar Management recently debuted an innovative new theater and bar called Cheapshot, set in the former home of the Don’t Tell Mama piano bar (that venue has relocated to Neonopolis). And the intimate space already has a resident production, “Miss Behave’s Mavericks,” an irreverent variety show conceived and executed by Amy Saunders, aka Miss Behave, who formerly headlined at Bally’s on the Strip.
“What made the most sense to me was to put in a small showroom downtown, a place where people could come to see fast-moving, uncomplicated entertainment, was a variety show,” Saunders said. “And it’s a rolling variety show, which means there will be fantastic acts coming and going. For me, the exciting thing is connecting to the Vegas history of hospitality and that sort of live and loose entertainment you would have seen in the lounges, like Louis Prima and Keely Smith at the Copa.”
The 90-minute “Mavericks” encompasses comedy, burlesque, circus acts, music and more and performs at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. (For info, visit cheapshotdtlv.com.) With DJ music dominating at most of the bars and clubs on East Fremont, the spontaneous elements of the show make it a welcome addition downtown and a complement to live performances at the nearby Backstage Bar & Billiards and bigger events at the large, outdoor Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. That venue has a slew of summer concerts coming up, starting with Iration and Atmosphere on July 9.
The other new venue in the area is already a local musical legend. The venerable Sand Dollar Lounge on Spring Mountain Road opened a second, larger bar at the Plaza last month, celebrating its grand opening on May 26. Like the original, Sand Dollar Downtown hosts live music every night; This week’s lineup includes Billy Ray Charles, High Rocktane, The Saints of Las Vegas, Cros, the Aaron McCall Band, John Zito and Rustyn Vaughn Lee.
Touring and local acts are hitting the new stage with genres ranging from blues and rock to country and funk. Performances are usually free and start at 9 p.m. (For more info, visit thesanddollarlv.com.)
