ATLANTIC CITY — This weekend’s grand opening of The Bourbon Room — the former House of Blues — inside Showboat Atlantic City heralds the return of an intimate live entertainment venue that resort officials believe is a signal of greater economic prospects for the city.
The Bourbon Room is part of a larger revitalization effort for the north end of the Boardwalk, the city’s live events scene and Showboat.
“Clearly investors are seeing the opportunity in the city and (The Bourbon Room) is another example of that,” said Joe Kelly, Greater Atlantic City Chamber president.
The 2,300-seat venue closed in August 2014 after hosting acts such as Huey Lewis and the News, the White Stripes, Erykah Badu and Elvis Costello.
Jason Dobson, one of three primary partners and the Bourbon Room’s public relations director, said the goal is to be a “venue for the people, by the people.” The aim is not to compete with some of the city’s larger live entertainment venues, he said, but rather to be an accessible destination for everyone.
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“We’re trying to be that happy medium that’s right in the middle, that can be the date night, that can be the family night, the social hour,” Dobson said. “We want to be the place in the community that people can just come by and have a good time. We really want to appeal to the locals as well as the out-of-towners.”
With the doors scheduled to open at 6 p.m. Saturday, East Coast Wrestling Association’s “Joker’s Wild” is the first in an events calendar that is booked every weekend until September. The Atlantic City Whiskey Social (March 31), The Cybertronic Spree (April 7), Silent Disco (April 13), Dead Reckoning (April 20) and The Usual Suspects (April 27) round out the upcoming lineup, with Gallagher Jokes on You Comedy Tour (May 26) and Jimmy Kenny and the Pirate Beachband (June 28) also on tap. Dobson said The Bourbon Room will bring in big name acts later this summer.
The Bourbon Room has already provided 200 new jobs in the form of security, front of the house staff and bartenders in addition to stagehands from Building and General Construction Laborers Local 77. Dobson said there are another 200 qualified applicants on standby following a job fair a few weeks ago.
The varied operating hours of The Bourbon Room allowed some of the city’s “top notch industry people” to come on board, Dobson said.
“(Our schedule) enabled a lot of the great talent in the city the ability to be part of us while still being loyal to their designated club, restaurant, bars or lounges that they’re already a part of,” he said.
Kelly said the ownership group of The Bourbon Room, which, in addition to Dobsen, includes Brian Miranda, co-owner of the Wonder Bar, and Rob Erickson, co-owner of Pier AC, have already made an impact on the Boardwalk with job creation and revitalization efforts.
“With the leadership involved, it’s encouraging that they already have investments, and having them come back for a second (investment) speaks well of the marketplace,” Kelly said.
The legacy of the House of Blues and the prime location are two assets the ownership group believes will aid their success. But more than anything, Dobson said, the ownership group of The Bourbon Room is confident it has created a premier entertainment venue the city will embrace, and the group is excited about the city’s live entertainment future.
“I feel like the timing is impeccable,” he said. “We couldn’t have asked for a better time. With big casinos like Hard Rock (Hotel & Casino Atlantic City) to the right of us and Ocean Resort (Casino) reopening to the left of us, I feel like there’s really no nervousness. ... I feel like this is something Atlantic City has been waiting for.”
City Council President Marty Small said 2018 is already proving to a boon for the city. Small said he recently attended a mixed martial arts event at Showboat and was happy to “see action and people” there again. The council president said adding another live entertainment venue to the city’s diversified portfolio can only be a positive going forward.
“I’m happy to see that one of our prized concert venues from back when, the House of Blues, is now opening under a different name,” Small said. “Hopefully, The Bourbon Room will bring much needed entertainment back to Atlantic City.”
For more information or to purchase tickets, go to bourbonroomac.com or call: 609-225-5766.
