Chuck Darrow

Mar 27, 2025 | shorelocalnews.com | Cindy Fertsch |Chuck Darrow

The Casino FileBy Chuck DarrowKuro, the Asian-focused dining room at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, is going all-in on an annual seasonal occurrence that generally flies under the radar in this neck of the woods—the blooming of cherry blossom trees that is always one of the first signs that spring has sprung. Last Friday evening, the dining room officially kicked off its second annual Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs through Mother’s Day (May 11).

Mar 27, 2025 | shorelocalnews.com | Cindy Fertsch |Chuck Darrow

By Chuck DarrowAs we entered Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena for Smokey Robinson’s recent performance, I only half-sarcastically suggested to my friend, Howard, that we were standing on hallowed ground. That’s because the large vestibule/security checkpoint area was, for 23 years, the poker room of the Trump Taj Mahal Casino-Resort. On June 25, 1993, Atlantic City’s legal- gaming industry entered a new era with the introduction of poker.

Mar 20, 2025 | shorelocalnews.com | Cindy Fertsch |Chuck Darrow

By Chuck DarrowIt’s shaping up to be a pretty interesting spring in the theaters and arenas of Atlantic City’s gambling dens as the second quarter of 2025 is bringing with it a surprisingly strong headliner schedule.

Mar 13, 2025 | shorelocalnews.com | Cindy Fertsch |Chuck Darrow

The Casino FileBy Chuck DarrowThere are some eight billion folks in the world for whom I feel sorry. That’s because they weren’t at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City last Saturday night to see Smokey Robinson at Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena. The 85-year-old pop-music immortal—whom no less an authority than Bob Dylan once described as “America’s greatest living poet”–thrilled and delighted the virtually sold-out crowd with a program of songs that covered his legendary 60-plus-year career.

Mar 6, 2025 | shorelocalnews.com | Cindy Fertsch |Chuck Darrow

The Casino FileBy Chuck DarrowEarlier, we took a look at the overall entertainment strategy at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino with an emphasis on the year’s headliner programming. But big-name, big-ticket shows are actually more of the dessert at the massive adult playpen that sits on the Boardwalk opposite Steel Pier. The meat-and-potatoes part of the sonic meal Hard Rock serves up is what the folks there call “365 Live”—as in live music 365 days a year.