A rock band hearkening to the 1990s will celebrate a famous resort launched in that decade.
Better Than Ezra is headlining The Strat’s Swim & Social on April 30, marking the towering hotel-casino’s 30th anniversary. DJ Santos opens at 3 p.m., followed by Vegas cover band Empire Records, then Better Than Ezra at 5 p.m. General admission tickets start at $43; go to thestrat.com for intel.
The alt-rock band formed in the late ’80s. Founding members Kevin Griffin on vocals and guitar, Tom Drummond on bass and Michael Jerome on drums are joined by multi-instrumentalist James Arthur Payne Jr.
The Baton Rouge-born band hit its commercial peak just before the hotel opened, with their 1993 multi-platinum album “Deluxe,” and the 1995 single “Good,” which topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
The Strat also plans special culinary offerings, gaming activations and propertywide experiences to mark No. 30.
On June 6, also at the hotel’s the poolside performance deck, is “Totally ’80s,” which is a roster of bands totally from the 1980s. Missing Persons, Prescott Niles’ The Knack, Bow Wow Wow and Tommy Tutone play the show. The performance starts at 5 p.m. Tickets start at $30, on sale at 10 a.m. PT on Monday, also at thestrat.com.
Vegas rock icon Patrick Vitagliano’s ’80s cover band, The Bones, opens the show. The event is curated by Alice Goldstein Entertainment of Las Vegas.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.