Music

Cosmopolitan’s Book & Stage to close July 12

Image
Aloe Blacc performs at Book & Stage on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2012.
Photo: Jesse Grant/WireImage

Casino venues close in two ways: They either close following a promotional blitz—see Hard Rock’s marketing bombardment to have former hotspot Center Bar go out on a high note—or fade away as quietly as the media allows them to (i.e. Aria’s Deuce and Gold lounges) until the big announcement for their replacement. The Cosmopolitan would seem to be going with the latter for its Book & Stage, which the property says will go dark July 12.

It was once a music venue, always a lounge and never really a full sports book (though it did broadcast international sporting events). The latter two designations are much less important than the first, given that its unique entertainment schedule helped the Cosmopolitan quickly establish its reputation as a peculiar, ballsy and ultimately groundbreaking casino that lived up to its name—as well as draw Strip-weary locals to the new property.

Book & Stage opened in late 2010—at the same time as the Cosmo itself—with a free live act often performing twice a night two to four times a week, a schedule typical of Vegas casino lounges. But those acts were anything but typical of a Vegas lounge or, in some cases, a Vegas stage. Best Coast, Mayer Hawthorne, Tennis, Chairlift, White Denim and Mariachi El Bronx were acts more associated with music festivals like Coachella than the local concert calendar, and the venue introduced Foster the People and Aloe Blacc to Las Vegas just before they ascended into the mainstream. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club played a two-hour concert there—gratis, to boot. The fact every show was free cannot be overstated.

B&S became an unlikely indie-music hang until Cosmopolitan considerably decreased the frequency of its bookings two years later, and all but mothballed the stage after that. Murmurs abounded that weak revenues both inside the venue and at the tables and slots outside its footprint made its live entertainment program fiscally tough.

A Clark County rep says a demolition permit has been filed for the space by HQ Cocktail, reportedly the new name of the refreshed space. Another source closer to the project claims the name isn’t official yet, though they do mention the replacement would be a cocktail lounge run by former Light Group CEO Andy Masi’s Clique Hospitality.

Here’s the official statement from Cosmopolitan:

“The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas announces the closure of Book & Stage on July 12. We are constantly looking to add unique and compelling experiences to the resort and will be announcing an exciting lounge concept over the next month in the former Book & Stage space.”

Share
Top of Story