In less than two weeks, Todd Frain and his wife will welcome a newborn baby girl to a family that already includes their 6-year-old son. For most 35-year-olds, the auspice of another child is a little bit stressful, but Frain is also having to deal with the impending extinction of his oldest baby, Fubar.
“It’s weird because I’m going to be leaving this building at the same time my daughter is being born, like something in the universe is telling me that I shouldn’t have two kids and work at Fubar,” Frain told CL.
“But at the same time, it kind of sucks because now I’m going to have to look for a different second job. Being able to work a few shifts and get cash to help out with the bills — that was part of my comfort.”
Frain, along with Fubar owner Jay Aresty, have provided a sense of comfort and stability on the 600 Block, which has seen massive transformation in recent years. But local music lovers were shocked when news of the downtown St. Pete bar’s demise arrived last month. Over the next week and a half, the nearly decade-old Fubar will welcome dozens of acts looking to hit the stage one last time before a final blowout on New Year’s Eve (a full listing of these shows is on cltampa.com/music). With State Theatre still under renovation, the closure ushers in a new era of silence for a block that was once alive with the sounds of local and national acts at nearly every stage of their touring careers.
“Jan. 1, 2019, will be a very sad day for live music,” said Manny Kool of Daddy Kool Records, alluding to the June 2017 closure of another 600 Block venue, The Local 662. “Until State Theatre reopens there is no live music on the 600 Block, and that, I think, is a travesty. It’s horrible, man.”
The writing started to appear on the wall as the block’s profile started rising over the last few years — but it wasn’t always this way. In 2009, St. Pete officials tested the idea of offering leases on the sputtering Crislip Arcade for just $5 per square foot. Artists, gallery owners, oddball retail and venues moved in, revitalizing the area. Rents went up with the block’s rising popularity, property companies bought up parcels, and the 600 Block’s new age pioneers eventually started to leave. Last May, Aresty told the Tampa Bay Times that Fubar’s rent had jumped from “well under $20 per square foot to more than $40.” He mentioned a plan to open earlier in the day in the hopes of capturing some of the block’s foot traffic, but remained committed to running the place like a “real small, dive-bar, punk-rock music venue.”
As of now, online listings for the parcel that Fubar sits on have the rent priced at $45 per square foot. Last month, broker Jon LaBudde told CL that his group — Tricera Capital — would like to see a bar or nightlife venue in the 1,900-square-foot space. However, he’s open to anything with a certain level of sophistication moving in. Kool wouldn’t tell us the cost of his lease, but a listing for 666 Central Ave. — the home of Daddy Kool — has a price of $45 to $50 (Kool did say the record store is on a month-to-month lease and committed to staying open).
“The 600 Block is thriving and the competition to be there is fierce,” according to Ben Kirby. Kirby, spokesman for Mayor Rick Kriseman, adds that the city is always concerned when longtime tenants can’t afford to remain on Central Ave. That’s why it is proposing an ordinance to help maintain the vibe there.
“But make no mistake — St. Pete’s music scene is going to be just fine,” Kirby added. “There are countless venues showcasing local talent. Our city is growing and will continue to host the kind of acts that people from all over Tampa Bay want to see.”
What Kirby may not immediately see in the sting of the 600 Block’s live music death knell is the countless bands who’ve cut their teeth on the stage and the way the community has embraced Frain and the entire Fubar family.
“Fubar was the spot that exposed us to the city. We then built a following in St. Pete, and Fubar was the place we did it,” said Shane Handal, guitarist for Bay area rock band Set and Setting. These days, Handal’s band plays European metal festivals, and according to 2018 Spotify statistics, Set and Setting’s music was streamed more than two million times by just over one million fans from 65 countries. Shows that Set and Setting booked with Fubar helped the band pay for recordings and van repairs, which led to the outfit’s first out-of-state tours. Handal says he thinks his band has played close to two dozen shows at the venue.
“They always treated us great, so we kept coming back,” Handal said. Unfortunately, there’ll be no coming back to Fubar in the new year. Frain is humble when talking about what the bar was able to build, but the lives of the bands, DJs, fans and bar regulars won’t be the same.
“Fubar became a part of me, and I became a part of Fubar by total accident. It just worked,” Frain said. He doesn’t quite know what he’ll do to make ends meet in between changing diapers, but he will miss being able to offer a stage to a band in need. So, for now, Fubar’s liquor stock is running low. Frain hopes there’s enough booze to get the bar through the rest of 2018, but he did mention one beer that’ll never be out of stock.
“No matter what, PBR has paid the electric since we opened,” he joked. Not anymore, my friend.
When it comes to live music, it’s too awfully quiet on the 600 Block — and that’s the worst news we’ve heard in a while.
Fubar is located at 658 Central Ave. in downtown St. Petersburg. See a listing of its remaining shows below, and get the most updated information via Facebook.
Fubar's Final Shows (UPDATED 9:30 a.m. 12/21)
Dec. 19 Postcard Scene w/Shurwood/Sunshine State/Jolly Fuckers/Spirits Down/Mr. Davis/Nickole Hanna
Dec. 21 Under the Covers w/Frances Farmer/Ugly Couple/Terrapin/Bathroom Lines/Boney Fiend
Dec. 22 Mosquito Teeth w/Twisty Chris & the Pudding Packs/Kyle Ruse
Dec. 23 SWIMM w/The Jackettes/Jordan Esker & The Hundred Percent
Dec. 28 Geri X w/Lassyu/Johnny Mile & the Kilometers/Changer/King Complex/Chan
Dec. 29 Mosquito Teeth w/Car Bomb Driver/DEA & Saint/Pig Pen/Mickey Spixx
Dec. 30 Sean Patrick Mcinerney w/Dee Dee Mao/Two Dollar Pistol/Will Brack/Whiskey Fish String Band/Jillian Holzbauer/Jim Watson/The Surfin' Dead/Canvas Kid/Swamp Rats/Tail Light Rebellion/Sketchie
Dec. 31 Mosquito Teeth w/Slade & the Wasters/Sonic Graffiti/more
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This article appears in Dec 20-27, 2018.