Sonic Nova settles into the Piazza Lounge with the kind of easy, low-lit energy that makes casino lounges in this city worth lingering in. Tucked near the entrance of the Tuscany, the room is small enough that the band's amps and vocal harmonies carry across every table, mixing with the clink of cheap cocktails and the murmur of people drifting in from the casino floor. It's a nonsmoking space, so the air stays clear while the sound fills the room with layers of guitar, rhythm, and whatever vocal blend gives the act its name.

Expect a setlist built for a crowd that's half paying attention and half ready to dance — covers reworked with a bit of edge, maybe some original material mixed in, and a stage close enough that you could reach out and touch the cymbals if you leaned too far forward. There's no cover charge to worry about, no sprawling production, just a band working a tight room and trying to turn casual drinkers into an audience by the second set.

For anyone who likes their live music served up close and unpretentious, with a drink in hand and no pressure to dress up or plan ahead, Sonic Nova at the Piazza Lounge fits the bill — the kind of night that starts as background noise and ends with you singing along.