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| - This review is specifically for The Backyard at Green Valley Ranch (GVR), the outdoor sand bottom pool and social area where they hold concerts at night - not the casino itself.
On a trip to Las Vegas, I noticed that Tears for Fears was playing at GVR and on a whim, I decided it was worth going to the show (they'd never play in Texas).
The Backyard isn't well described on the GVR website, but it's their main pool area which is converted to a concert area after dark (after being purged of the poolies). It has a VIP area with proper seats (couches - how did I miss that?) and the regular viewing area is by the main sand bottom pool, or on a slight incline perpendicular to the stage.
It was a slightly windy night in July when I saw the show, which helped dramatically, since the drink service (3 bar kiosks and a permanent bar at the back) was extraordinarily slow. In fact, the place to stand during the shows is over by the whirlpool, where you are slightly at an angle to the stage, but near the permanent bar and restrooms. Most of the people (older crowd for TFF) were sitting along the sloped area, so it was actually less crowded closer to the stage than along the entrance path (and the drink lines were shorter). Beers were $6, which could have been much more for a captive audience.
If you are from out of town, don't forget to get a view of the Strip from just left of the main bar/restrooms. If you are staying on the strip, be advised that it is about a $35-$40 taxi ride each way to GVR. Not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but a deterrent for those on a budget. After the show, taxis are hard to come by, so do yourself a favor and do a little gambling while you are there.
All in all a nice property and I'm glad I had a chance to visit something off the beaten path. The games looked good and the limits looked very low for a Saturday night (maybe the deciding factor for the budget crowd).
I wouldn't make a specific trip to come back to GVR, but I can't take any points away from a genuinely good experience.
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