Everyone knew it was coming, and now it has. The Mirage volcano, in many ways the symbol of the “new Las Vegas,” is no more. Last month construction crews tore down the volcano in preparation for using the space to build the guitar-shaped hotel tower that will be the focal element of the resort when it reopens as a Hard Rock. In addition to distinguishing the Mirage when it debuted with the casino in 1989, the volcano was the first “free spectacle” in Las Vegas, a forerunner of the Bellagio fountains, the Treasure Island pirate battle and downtown’s Fremont Street Experience, among several others.