Turnstile coming to North Las Vegas means The AMP renovations are working

In April of 2025, the North Las Vegas City Council approved a $1.6 million renovation of the Craig Ranch Amphitheater (The AMP) with the hopes of attracting bigger acts. On Thursday, Oct. 15, those renovations provided an obvious return on investment with a visit from perhaps the best live band alive, Turnstile.

My introduction to the hardcore punk band came in the form of a text message from my friend who had introduced me to plenty of punk bands I’d never heard of. I opened a YouTube video of a live show they did in what looked to be a quaint, basement bar. I’d never seen more energy exerted by a band and its fans during a live performance. Since then I’ve seen them live four times, but only at musical festivals, so I was excited that my first visit to The Amp would be to see one of my favorite live bands perform a full set for the first time. I wasn’t disappointed.

You have to appreciate a band who puts the same energy into their shows as the fans do. No one gives their fans the mic more than Turnstile, and not as a means for the lead singer to take songs off. The cameras are focused on the fans about as much as the band, and the fans participate in a way I’ve only seen from pro wrestling fans. 

A fan brought a rotary phone that was featured on the new big screen behind the stage when the band played “Dull,” which features lyrics and themes about a phone ringing. A woman was displayed with a sign on her cellphone featuring one word and an acronym that encapsulated her feelings for ICE. Believe it or not, the same word and acronym were first chanted at an All Elite Wrestling show at The Palms in Las Vegas that was broadcast live for all to hear. It went viral. 

Interviews of fans going to see the band in Vegas explained that the hardcore community can give you “hope” and “friends” and is “all about love.” It was certainly all about love on Thursday night. I saw a boy not more than 10 years old moshing with his old man atop the berm. It reminded me of my first show—MC Hammer. Unlike that father, my dad wasn’t there of his own volition, but he did say after that he’d never seen a man dance so hard for so long. He left impressed. I left this show impressed by the venue.

Turnstile would’ve never played the old AMP. The fixed seating alone made a mosh pit an impossibility, but public information officer for the City of North Las Vegas, Stephen Miller, cites even more improvements to The Amp that have played a part in attracting bigger acts.

“By removing the fixed seating, we increased the venue’s capacity from approximately 6,800 to 10,000 for standing-room-only events, while also improving its flexibility for different types of shows,” Miller explained. “Upgrades to the stage roof, sound system, video wall, parking, and event space have further enhanced the venue’s ability to accommodate larger productions and improve the overall guest experience. Expanding the event space outside the concert area has also created more opportunities for vendors, food trucks, and other event amenities.”

While lines at the vendors between acts were long, and the bars ran out of beer well before Turnstile even took the stage, the bar atop the berm overlooking the stage was unsurprisingly empty for almost the entirety of Turnstile’s set. Getting back to your “seats” wasn’t a problem either, as Turnstile fans tend to be incredibly accommodating despite dancing rather violently. I got to the edge of the mosh pit, found multiple places to stand in the lower level mid-set, and despite winds gusting across the venue, the sound quality was still good at the tippy top of the amphitheater.

I spoke to a lot of fans and my main takeaway was that The Amp is now the place for locals of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas to get away from the tourists of the strip and see a show with their neighbors. It’s apparently the place for locals to congregate, make new friends, find and feel love. Only one person to whom I spoke was from out of town. Many had never visited The Amp prior to the renovations despite growing up in the Las Vegas area. 

“While improvements to The AMP at Craig Ranch are ongoing, we are already seeing positive results. We’ve experienced increased booking activity, more frequent concerts and events, regular attendance of 7,000 to 10,000 guests at major shows, and a growing roster of high-profile touring artists,” Miller informed. “These results demonstrate that the investments are helping position The AMP as a destination for larger-scale touring productions and a wider variety of events.”

The only complaint I got was from one man on dialysis who struggled walking (he uses one of those wheeled walkers) from the parking lot to the amphitheater. The ADA parking spaces are a long way from the stage, so I asked Miller if the city could get a shuttle going for disabled visitors of the venue. He thanked me for bringing it to his attention and said, “We will make improvements in our future events to provide additional and closer ADA parking.”

“As bookings and attendance have increased, so have event revenues. Although we still have additional improvements planned, the progress to date is encouraging and supports our investment in making The AMP a more competitive venue for major touring acts and large-scale events,” Miller concluded. 

Traffic flowed freely in leaving the venue—something that’s never the case when seeing a show on The Strip. In all, The AMP proved to me that it’s the premier outdoor venue for punks like me and locals looking to escape the tourist traffic. It’s not The Gorge or Red Rocks, but it’s our Gorge and Red Rocks, and it’s something we needed to bring neighbors together and strengthen our sense of community.