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Tampa’s Hard Rock Event Center is getting in on the local live music restart, too

Alicia Keys’ rescheduled show anchors a lineup of solid shows.

By Ray Roa on Thu, Jul 22, 2021 at 4:23 pm

Alicia Keys whose Hard Rock Tampa show got pushed back two years Sept. 18, 2022.

In a lot of ways, you’ve got to feel bad for the Hard Rock Event Center. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s 1,500-seat venue basically had just the fall of 2019 to host shows, and while gigs by Keith Urban and Smokey Robinson went off without a hitch, others like a much-anticipated September 2020 concert from Alicia Keys—who would’ve been supporting her seventh studio LP, due last March—were pushed back (Keys is now set to play there on Sept. 18, 2022).

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And while the casino waited until March 20, 2020 to close—three days after the governor ordered nightclubs to shutdown, and restaurants to operate at 50% capacity—Seminole Hard Rock’s reopening was undoubtedly one of the safest in the area, with the facility flexing its resources to make sure surfaces were cleaned obsessively all while security literally played the role of mask police.

As of publishing, a dozen events—including three comedy shows and one cage match—are listed on the Hard Rock Event Center’s website. Some are sold out, but that doesn’t mean you can’t wander around the casino where some great local musicians (Ivy Alex, John O’Leary, Leon Majcen, Claire VanDiver and DJs (Ekin, Xplicid, Flaco, Shannon C) enjoy residencies at the facility’s many lounges and restaurants.

Upcoming Hard Rock Event Center events

Gary Allan Thursday, Aug. 26, 7 p.m. Sold out.
Sugar Ray Thursday, Sept. 2, 7 p.m. $45 & up
Vince Neil & Great White Thursday, Oct. 14, 7 p.m. $40 & up
Ben Folds: In Actual Person Live For Real Tour Thursday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m. Sold out.
ZZ Top Tuesday, Nov. 9, 7 p.m. Sold out.
In This Moment w/Black Veil Brides/Ded/Raven Black Friday, Nov. 19, 5:15 p.m. $45 & up
The Stylistics Sunday, May 8, 8 p.m. $30 & up
Alicia Keys Sunday, Sept. 18, 8 p.m. $299 & up

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About The Author

Ray Roa

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief in August 2019. Past work can be seen at Suburban Apologist, Tampa Bay Times, Consequence of Sound and The...

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