It takes a lot to lure a local to the Strip. Off the beaten Boulevard, we’ve got a treasure trove of venues to pack out, especially for live music. But when it comes to the 80,000-square-foot Brooklyn Bowl, there’s a magic that can’t be duplicated—not on the Strip, or anywhere else in this town.
Since March 2014, Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas has been a destination for some of the best and most under-appreciated names in music. The venue has welcomed the likes of Elvis Costello and the Roots, Jenny Lewis, Ween, Chance the Rapper, Japanese Breakfast, Marc Rebillet and many more artists, whose visits to the venue have ranged between intimate celebrations and explosive homecomings.
Brooklyn Bowl’s marquee in the Linq Promenade shows some of its opening acts in March 2014.
The New York import, founded by Grateful Dead concert promoter Peter Shapiro, was born as a labor of love in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood in 2009. A few short years later, Vegas welcomed the nation’s second Brooklyn Bowl to the Linq Promenade. It was an anchoring attraction in and of itself, but no free-standing Strip concert venue and bowling alley is without its skeptics.
“A lot of people in the industry thought that was a crazy move. A casino or a hotel provides a lot of people, a lot of foot traffic, a lot of built-in business, so to be an independent venue outside of a hotel-casino, they did face a lot of challenges,” says Kirk Reed, director of marketing. “Also ... part of the magic of Brooklyn Bowl is they’re booking bands that not a lot of venues book in Las Vegas. It’s in between genres, really niche, interesting sounding bands that appeal to real music lovers and Las Vegas residents, rather than tourists.”
The locals came in droves to witness frontmen like Yannis Philippakis of Foals falling into the outstretched hands of an eager crowd, to see Sleater-Kinney return to Vegas after 19 years, to watch Lauryn Hill deliver “Killing Me Softly.”
Reed says he’s also enjoyed watching the Bowl become “a bit of a stepping stone.”
“A lot of bands that play here go on to become too big to play here again, or they play bigger venues,” he says. “It’s really special when they get bigger but come back. For Khruangbin to come back and do two nights, instead of one night at a bigger venue, I think says a lot about the Brooklyn Bowl staff.”
A decade later, this Bowl remains a perfect strike in our book.
Memorable nights at Brooklyn Bowl
DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist (September 29, 2014)
These two master turntablists performed in deference to a third: Afrika Bambaataa, an influential (and, it was later learned, deeply problematic) rapper and producer. They mixed and scratched their way through Bambaataa’s crates of vinyl, and in doing, delivered a hip-hop history lesson for the ages. –Geoff Carter
The Marias
M83 (April 16, 2016)
Making its Vegas debut, M83 brought a festival-scale performance to Brooklyn Bowl, rattling the lanes with powerful takes on “We Own The Sky” and “Lower Your Eyelids to Die With The Sun.” And all the indie boys in the house lost their damn minds during the “Midnight City” sax solo. –GC
The War on Drugs (April 11, 2018)
A near three-hour jam sesh led by frontman Adam Granofsky ensued on this special evening, wooing fans into a trance-like state stoked by the hazy, textured sound riffs of “Pain,” “The Strangest Thing” and other moving gems. –Amber Sampson
Johnny Marr (May 18, 2019)
Liberated from Morrissey’s shadow and iconic in his own right, Johnny Marr captivated us with timeless jams from his Smiths days along with original tracks, highlighting his signature jangly pop guitar style. –Gabriela Rodriguez
Omar Apollo
The Marias (January 26, 2022)
After witnessing the mesmerizing performance of The Marias, to me, their sound was forever transformed from merely an easy-to-listen-to band into an unforgettable auditory and physical experience. –GR
Omar Apollo (April 19, 2022)
Fans were prepared to risk it all for this Latin crooner who charmingly drank a Modelo onstage, rolled his hips to the trap-tinged beats of “Tamagotchi” and wowed fans with the unwavering power of his falsetto on “Evergreen.” –AS
Click HERE to subscribe for free to the Weekly Fix, the digital edition of Las Vegas Weekly! Stay up to date with the latest on Las Vegas concerts, shows, restaurants, bars and more, sent directly to your inbox!
