Show & Venue Reviews
Please share your Tom Jones shows with other fans. Setlist? Audience? Energy? What was it like being there? We’d love to hear from you.
And, while you’re telling us about the shows, please let us know what you think of the venues where Tom plays. Clubs, theaters, casinos — Tom Jones performs in all of them. Which venue do you think is the best? The worst?
So that other fans will know what’s in store when they buy their tickets, please tell us a little bit about the venues you know. If possible, try to use the format below so others can tell at a glance what you think. The best venue will merit ****. More than one review of a venue is welcome.
Casino Rama/Ontario, Canada
Monday, December 12th, 2005What
This 5,000 seat venue (give or take 27 seats, seriously!) is a gem in rural Ontario, Canada. According to the Ontario Lotteries and Gaming Corporation, “A commitment to excellent customersservice, top notch entertainment and outstanding amenties contributed to Casino Rama being voted “Ontario’s Favourite Casino” in the Toronto Sun’s annual readers’ poll — for the seventh straight year!”
The Casino itself is very small, and is located about 90 minutes north of Toronto and about 15 minutes outside of the nearest tiny town, Orillia. It has a great selection of restaurants and Hotel Rama is absolutely gorgeous.
Price
As at Mohegan Sun, tickets are moderately priced, especially compared to venues in Atlantic City and the like.
Atmosphere
They have a wonderful multi-media presentation at the Story Teller’s Lodge located in the Rotunda which tells the history and culture of the Mnjikaning First Nations people. They are a centuries old Nation, and their culture is reflected in the architecture and design at Casino Rama.
The venue itself is wonderful. I’ve seen everybody from Dwight Yoakam to Tom Jones there, and the acoustics are always great. Because it’s so small, there really isn’t a bad seat in the house.
Incidentally, Tom Jones was the first performer to ever appear on stage at Casino Rama, before the building was finished, it was only a tent then! I’ve been going to shows there since 2000 and my only complaint was the stage was very loud, literally.
Performers would walk, dance, etc. and the stage would just reverberate with the pounding. Fortunately, they put in a new stage at the beginning of 2005 which has eliminated this problem entirely.
I’ve also heard some people complain that it can “be too loud” nearer the stage, but I personally haven’t had a problem with the volume of noise and I am typically in the first or second row. The floor seats are simply rows of folding chairs linked together, so it can be a little “cozy” and they a! ren’t very comfortable. However, it’s definitely the area you want to be in when TJ hits the stage.
The Casino Rama website is always up to date and you can have them email advance notices of upcoming entertainment. They also have a great online seat locator where you can enter your row and seat number from your tickets and see exactly where you’ll be sitting at the show. You can dowload and print it also, to have it handy when you’re buying show tickets.
Rating
If you’re not into gambling, there isn’t much to do beyond browse the shops in the concourse between the Hotel and Casino, and the selection of local hotels is minimal.
✯✯✯
—Fay, Canada
