It can be hard for a newcomer to get acquainted with their local live music venue, and in the new issue of Creative Loafing Tampa Bay on stands now, we mention must-visit rooms of every size from small, to, well, right in between gigantic and large. And that’s how we got to The Sound.

The scene: Simply put, there’s no other venue like The Sound, located at 255 Drew St. in Clearwater. Opened late last month after a two-year renovation of its home, Coachman Park, the waterfront venue (which is not an amphitheater, people) offers ocean breezes and views of Old Clearwater Bay. There’s a VIP, elevated viewing area and ample amenities (read: no porta potties), plus 4,000 covered seats and room for 5,000 more people on the lawn.

The venue draws from the downtown Clearwater neighborhood and surrounding beaches, plus folks from Pinellas and even Tampeños who’re now forced to make the drive for shows they can’t see in the 813 (read: Charley Crockett in November).

Sound: Pop, classic rock, rock, country, classical.

The BayCare Sound

255 Drew St., Clearwater, FL

website

The scoop: Anyone who’s come under the charm of St. John’s County’s 4,092-capacity St. Augustine Amphitheatre knows how special it is to have a large outdoor venue. The capacity could attract artists like Boygenius, The National, Bon Iver and Kacey Musgraves that have outgrown nightclubs and theaters but not yet graduated to arenas (or those who simply don’t like playing to rooms that big). When the Clearwater Jazz Holiday comes home, or when you’re enjoying a late-December gig with shorts on, you’ll really understand why Tampa Bay really needed to hear this Sound.

Similar venues: Other rooms like Yuengling Center arena can hold several thousand people, but there’s nothing like The Sound in the Bay area.

Upcoming shows at The Sound in downtown Clearwater include Michael Franti, Goo Goo Dolls and John Fogerty. Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.