The Casino File: Waves of headliners headed to Ocean Atlantic City; Alicia Keys booked into Hard Rock AC

The sound of music—and comedy—will soon be returning to Atlantic City’s Ocean Casino Resort.

Earlier this week, the mega-resort that sits on the far eastern end of the Boardwalk announced a slew of headliner dates for its 5,000-seat Ovation Hall. In all, 16 dates are on the books bookended by the July 2 performance by ‘80s pop-rockers Loverboy and the COVID-19-delayed March 19, 2022 set by former Tonight Show host Jay Leno.

In addition to the headliner one-offs, Ovation Hall will also host Glen Burtnik’s Summer of Love, a series of gigs that will run every Friday and Sunday from July 9 through August 29. The program will pay tribute to the rock music that was recorded and performed between the June, 1967 release of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band LP and the August, 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Festival.

“We are elated to bring back such an acclaimed group of headlining performers to Ovation Hall for our guests to enjoy,” said Ocean CEO Terry Glebocki.

“Entertainment is one of Ocean’s core foundations, and as restrictions ease and we are able to open up more of our property, the return of live music and comedy bolsters our premier resort experience.”

While the shows represent a giant step toward pre-pandemic normalcy, the worldwide plague remains a factor in the concerts’ staging: A number of safety protocols will be in place for performers and audience members alike. These include mask requirements, thermal screening, hand sanitizing stations and physical distancing. In addition, advanced ticket reservations are being encouraged in order to comply with capacity restrictions and contact-less ticket scanning.

The full headliner schedule is as follows; more dates are expected to be booked in the days ahead:

Brian McKnight, July 3. Morris Day & The Time, Aug. 14; Jeff Dunham, Aug. 21; Melissa Etheridge, Sept. 4; Three Dog Night, Sept. 10; Alice Cooper, Sept. 17; George Thorogood, Sept. 24; The Beach Boys, Sept. 25; Kansas (see below), Oct. 2; The Monkees, Oct. 23; Collective Soul/Better Than Ezra/Tonic, Oct. 30; Aaron Lewis, Nov. 6; Straight No Chaser, Dec. 3; Sara Brightman, Dec. 4; Terry Fator, Dec. 11; Jay Leno, March 19.

For tickets, click here.

Keys to the Rock

And while we’re talking AyCee headliners, chart-topping powerhouse (and 15-Grammy Award winner) Alicia Keys will check into Hard Rock Hotel Casino Atlantic City on Aug. 6. For tickets, click here.