10820 Gandy Blvd., St. Petersburg, 727-576-1091, davesongandy.com
In addition to booking top local acts, hosting beloved jams and the occasional national band, the cozy, smoky dive serves the strongest cocktails of any live music venue in Tampa Bay, making even lousy singers sound totally rad after that third rum-and-coke. And you can't beat the rock 'n' roll setting: The 45-year-old Dave's sits on a marvelously seedy strip of Gandy featuring a skanky beach, a titty bar, sex shops, skuzzy motels, a crab shack and dog track. Lastly, Dave's doubles as a package store, insuring that after-party supplies are close at hand.
Memories St. Pete blooze-rockers The Mojo Gurus have routinely blasted the tiny room with good-time anthems • Rebekah Pulley is among the acts that have played fierce sets during BAAMO pre-SXSW send-off fundraisers • The Ditchflowers, 2007's best new local band, showcased their terrific Carried Away CD to an enthusiastic crowd • Shawn Kyle, frontman for Tampa alterna-rockers The Beauvilles, shoved his shit-faced second guitarist off the stage.
Capacity: 75
Grub: Bar food
Booze: Full liquor
Next big show: The Black Diamond Heavies w/Mojo Gurus, Nov. 18.
This article appears in Nov 12-18, 2008.