The Joint (music venue)

The Joint opened along with the Hard Rock Hotel on the night of March 10, 1995. The music venue had capacity for up to 1,400 people. Numerous musicians performed in the Joint on opening night, and the concert was filmed and subsequently broadcast on MTV the following night.[5][6][7] The Joint provided audience members with an intimate setting that allowed them an up-close view of performers, some of whom normally would have played in large stadiums.[7] A Tom Petty concert in August 1999 brought in 1,786 audience members, although the Joint was only permitted by the Clark County Fire Department to hold 1,400 people.[8]

Notable performers during the early to mid 2000s included Beck, Deftones, David Bowie, Robert Plant, The Rolling Stones, and Stone Temple Pilots.[7] Lou Reed performed at the Joint in June 2003, but he became upset when audience members were busy buying alcohol at the bar during his performance. He left the stage out of anger, and people in the audience heckled him when he returned, prompting him to leave again before returning to the stage a third time.[7][9][10][11] In July 2003, the original members of Duran Duran performed at the Joint as part of a reunion tour, which reunited them for the first time since 1985.[12][13][14]

Although the Joint was built as a music benue, it hosted other events as well. In November 2003, it hosted a fundraiser screening of The Big Empty. The screening was part of an effort by the Hard Rock to compete against its rival, the Palms resort, which had hosted several film and television premiere screenings.[15] In late 2003, Jeff Beacher began hosting a variety show at the Joint,[16][17][18] which continued its run for the next four years.[19] In September 2006, the Joint hosted "Imagine: The Artwork of John Lennon", a collection of more than 100 art pieces created by John Lennon, including drawings, serigraphs, and lithographs.[20][21][22]

The Beastie Boys held their final Las Vegas performance on October 23, 2006, at the Joint.[23] Andrew Hewitt, the Joint's original concert promoter, announced his impending departure in late 2006, after 11 years.[24]

Mötley Crüe closed the first incarnation of the Joint with a concert on February 7, 2009.[25]

The new Joint doubled in size with 4,000 seats and opened on April 17, 2009, with a concert by Avenged Sevenfold.[26]

In 2010 and 2011 it hosted the Dew Tour Championships as the venue for Skateboard Street. Chaz Ortiz won in 2010 and Ryan Decenzo won in 2011.

Fiona Apple held her most recent Las Vegas performance in September 2012, at the Joint.[23]

In 2016, Morrissey played at the venue, selling out tickets in just under a day.

In 2018 Nickelback played a five night residency starting February 23 and ending March 5 as part of their "Feed the Machine" tour.

In March 2018, the Hard Rock was sold to a group of companies that included Virgin Hotels, and plans were announced to renovate and rebrand the resort as Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.[27] The Joint will be renovated,[28] but will retain its name.[27] The Hard Rock and Joint closed on February 3, 2020, to allow for the renovations to take place.[23] Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is scheduled to open on November 6, 2020.[29]

Live recording have included: