Most people would attribute the first residency to Liberace. The pianist and singer started his first night at the Hotel Last Frontier in November 1944. Playing show tunes and boogie-woogie, he was a far cry from today’s distant stars and faceless Internet marketing. He would walk up and down the strip handing out flyers himself, then talk to those who visited his shows. His flamboyant, over-the-top style came to embody everything that was Vegas. Soon signed to a long-term contract, he became as big a draw as the casinos themselves and played the strip for the rest of his life.<\/p>\n\n