Taking care of business at the Hard Rock’s box office
By Kiko Miyasato
Lori Guzzard
Who’s one of the most favorite celebs Lori Guzzard has taken care of since taking the position of box office manager at Hard Rock Hotel? John Cusack. “I was convinced we had a love connection … well, at least I thought so,” joked Guzzard, who has worked in ticketing in Las Vegas for almost a decade. Some of her favorite concerts? Paul McCartney, Weezer and No Doubt. Since taking the position three and a half years ago, she’s seen more than 200 shows. Granted, most shows she’s not sitting in a seat, but rather taking care of box office operations, overseeing ushers and handling ticketing for casino guests, VIPs and the bands’ entourages.
Guzzard works the box office for both The Joint and Hard Rock’s newest, more intimate music venue, Vinyl, as well as any concerts that take place at the hotel’s pool or Body English. “Hard Rock’s not limiting ourselves to any specific genre … we just really want to be open with providing really good music in Las Vegas.” And now, with the opening of Vinyl, Guzzard points out, “We’re also really getting into the groove of bringing in smaller bands, lesser known acts, especially here at Vinyl, that will eventually become big in the music world.”
A tip from the SoCal native: Some of the most overlooked seats at The Joint are actually the best seats in the entire venue—the balcony seats. “You have an entire view of the stage and the sound is so amazing.”
The Stompbox
Just as gritty and rock ’n’ roll as Vinyl is, the Stompbox shot is a two-in-one alcohol adventure. The first shot you take is chilled Jim Beam bourbon with a splash of Tabasco sauce, chased with a shot of pickle juice. Sound a little weird? It’s actually quite tasty. Another popular option at Vinyl is its beer and shot chaser. For $5-$6 you can get domestic or imported beer and a shot—tequila, vodka and more—for just $4. Rock on, man.
