At age 23, Andrew Courtney was working for Bruce Springsteen, managing the rock and roll icon’s guest lists. He got to travel the world with The Boss, but when it came time to plant roots, he and his wife, a graduate of Green Valley High School, chose Southern Nevada. As director of entertainment at the Hard Rock Hotel, Courtney takes advantage of the thriving the local music scene to keep seats filled nightly at several venues.
Do you have any updates you’d like to share?
We’re gearing up for the warm weather, which means in any one night we’ll have four or five events going on between the Joint, Vinyl, Center Bar, Friday Night Live at the Pool and various other lounges on property.
Tell us about a talent booking that makes you particularly proud.
I’m excited about what we have going on at Friday Night Live at the Pool this year. With all of the festivals popping up across the country, I think music fans are more used to seeing their favorite bands outside, under the stars. This summer, we’re bringing back some successful shows from years past to rock the pool — Atmosphere, Pepper and Ozomatli — and rounded it out with artists of all genres — Eagles of Death Metal, Mac DeMarco, Mayer Hawthorne, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and more.
How did you get your start in this career?
I started booking ska and punk bands in the suburbs of D.C. as a junior in high school. I called up the phone number on the back of one of Less Than Jake’s first CDs, and sure enough the drummer answered. And even stranger, I talked a local coffee shop into renting me their space on a Friday night. Thousands of fliers from Kinko’s and a hundred dubbed cassettes later, there was a packed house and the start of my career as a concert promoter. And we just booked Less Than Jake to play as part of the Van’s Warped Tour on Aug. 9 in the lot behind the hotel. So basically I have been doing the same thing since I was 16.
What do you look for when booking talent?
Talent, for starters. And recent history for strong ticket sales in the market doesn’t hurt, either. The great thing about the Hard Rock is the number of venues we have on property. A band can grow with us and move up through the different capacities we have available instead of jumping ship for another property. The Growlers sold out two nights in Vinyl last year, so we just booked them for a show out at the larger Pool stage for our annual Friday Night Live series in September. And then the goal would be to have them headline the Joint next year.
If you could change one thing about Southern Nevada, what would it be?
The perception from out-of-towners is that everybody in Las Vegas lives on the Strip. Yes, there are suburbs and schools and even parks here.
What has been your most exciting professional project?
The series of free DJ sets we have scheduled for the Center Bar have been some of my favorite bookings of the year. The goal was to create a buzz on the casino floor, using the newly redesigned Center Bar as the hub. And not pulling from the same list of DJs that Vegas has been known for lately. So we had Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine kick things off, followed up with the King of Partying, Andrew WK. Throw in sets from Flavor Flav, Scott Ian from Anthrax, DJ Kilmore from Incubus and Sebastian Bach from Skid Row, and it’s a diverse list of great musicians that fit with the authenticity that the Hard Rock Hotel is known for. Basically, anybody walking through our doors on a Saturday night can say “Hey” to a bona fide rock star.
What are you reading?
I’m constantly scouring the web for music blogs on the next big thing. Always have to stay one step ahead of the competition.
What do you do after work?
I love taking advantage of living in the restaurant capital of the world. And it might sound crazy, but on days off, I’m normally out checking out more live music. The music scene has grown tenfold since I moved here in 2008, and as a community, it is important that music lovers embrace everything Vegas has to offer. Bands that used to skip Vegas 10 years ago are now asking their agents to start their tours off here.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Honestly, continuing what I have been doing. There is no better feeling than seeing a packed crowd connect with musicians on stage.
What is your dream job?
This is my dream job. From very early on I knew I didn’t have the chops to make it on the front lines as a musician. So I’ve stuck behind the scenes ever since, and haven’t looked back. I can nail a 10-second drum solo, though, if nobody’s watching.
If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be?
I live in Green Valley, so maybe Summerlin?
Whom do you admire?
The executive team here at the hotel. No idea is too crazy. They are constantly giving me the tools to try new things. And in an ever-evolving town like Las Vegas, new is necessary.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
Bands that don’t show up on time for sound check. Sure, we have the best crew in town and will still make it happen. But nobody likes to sweat if they don’t have to.
Where do you like to go for business lunches?
When I bring people on property, Culinary Dropout has an amazing menu, a beer list I can drool at during lunch, and the view from the patio can’t be beat.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
My tendency to have a messy desk. But I can produce any piece of paper you’re looking for in a moment’s notice.
What is something that people might not know about you?
I can do the Running Man quite well.