It’s hard to even think about the return of live music during life under a stay-at-home order, but downtown St. Petersburg’s State Theatre got a new name last Monday. The Floridian Social Club introduced itself to Tampa Bay on April 6 in the form of an online sizzle reel. The clip traces 687 Central Ave.’s history as a bank, movie theater, historic site, and then as a concert venue that’s being reborn with a new moniker. All of it is happening under the guidance of Kevin Chadwick, a real estate lifer who by day is the Owner and Operating Principal of Keller Williams franchises in the Tampa Bay area. His 35-year role in the local real estate industry is what led Chadwick—also the 59-year-old Operating Principal of Floridian Social Club—to State.
In June 2018, a family trust run by Chadwick purchased State Theatre for $2.1 million after previous owners shut it down. The sale came less than a year after fire code violations and inspections at State led to a downsized crowd capacity, which the fire marshal eventually set at 600 in February 2018.
In a phone call with Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, Chadwick cleared the air and said that the Floridian Social Club—whose name is an homage to the the past and future of the historic local landmark—is an 800-capacity venue that would only have 200 seats, which means there will most definitely be general admission, standing room only options for concerts. Chadwick also spoke to the Floridian Social Club’s website, which said that Tuesdays through Thursdays would be “Lounge Nights” while concerts would happen on Friday and Saturday. That mix of concerts and lounge nights aims to activate the space for more than just shows, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be a concert there on a Tuesday.
“Priority events is our concerts. So, if one of our promoters has a band, an event, it could be a Monday night, even a night where we’re closed—any night of the week,” Chadwick said. “Our concert schedule takes precedence over everything.”
Chadwick wouldn’t tell CL which promoter he’s been talking to about booking concerts, but even that talent buyer had to be reassured that the venue was committed to music.
“He goes, ‘You know Kevin, I was just looking at the rollout and it kind of leads me to believe you’re only gonna have concerts during weekends.’”
To that, Chadwick reiterated that, “Live music is the priority of who we are, at the Floridian Social Club.”
“Live music has precedence over any other event—promoters already know this. They have carte blanche and full control over our schedule. To me, music comes first,” Chadwick told CL. “Then our clubs and weekends come second. And then of course, our lounge nights and special events come third.”
Local musicians will naturally be part of that conversation—and part of those weeknights and even weekends when there isn’t a national on the stage. The venue has already thrown its hat into the Bay area scene by hosting live streams from homegrown talents who’ve lost gigs due to the coronavirus.
The return of a live music venue to the 600 Block is long overdue. Because of rising rents, Fubar—the block’s last surviving venue—closed at the end of 2018. June 2017 saw the closure of another venue, Local 662, and in February 2019, Daddy Kool Records was forced to move off the block despite its best year ever, revenue wise.
But until a calendar does actually start to coalesce, it’s hard to see exactly what kind of music Floridian Social Club will host. When asked about which acts might play his venue, Chadwick said the hierarchy starts with recognized recognizable national bands.
“And then of course the next step is very much local. We’ve got incredible talent here. We will be featuring great local bands and regional bands every other night, if we can,” Chadwick added. Those bands will play on a state-of-the-art sound system installed by industry leader ESI. The sound is just part of a big renovation that also brings State Theatre’s center bar—where service would only happen in the lobby—into both the lobby and performance theater. Chadwick said that having to leave a show to get a drink from the bar was always the biggest pain in the ass.
Sitting parlors for 15-20 people are also in the plans. Floridian Social Club even got rid of that weird change in elevation that used to trip people up when moving from the lobby towards the theater. And at the end of the day, Chadwick simply wants the Floridian Social Club to be a room that everyone—from fans, to artists to crew—wants to visit again.
“The biggest compliment that every band member can pay our team, to what we’re creating, is to high-five us on the way out the back door after they’re done, saying, “That was the most fun event, we’ve been able to do in a very long time,’” Chadwick said. “It’s not so easy to pull that off because there’s a lot of competition out there.”
It’s safe to say that the concert industry at large—which was decimated by the coronavirus—is still trying to figure out when it might be safe to have 800-plus-capacity concerts, but No Clubs’ Tony Rifugiato told CL that he hopes he can one day book shows at the Floridian Social Club. Rifugiato, who was part owner of the State Theatre, was in contact with Chadwick before and during renovations, but he’s yet to reconnect as the venue inches closer to opening.
Floridian Social Club’s announcement video seemed to skip over the history that independent promoters like Rifugiato built there, which understandably left two generations of music fans who grew up watching metal, rock, folk and rap shows there feeling left out. When asked about it, Chadwick mentioned that the perspective was interesting because no one he’d talked to about it had gone down that road yet. Chadwick said he also grew up around the theater, and he remembers the movies from early on, plus the concerts. But he also remembers how the “big beautiful old historic building that is was only open if there was an event or concert.”
We are excited to announce the next phase the theatre's history!
— Floridian Social Club (@floridiansc) April 6, 2020
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🚨Welcome to the Floridian Social Club 🎉
👉 https://t.co/pR2gJKtYc0
🎤🥁🎸🎷🎼#floridiansocialclub #keepstpeteshining #locallove #stpetefl #sunshinecity #sunshineshere #stpetersburgflorida #stpetersburgfl pic.twitter.com/COda64R8Uh
Chadwick said that Central Avenue has gone through a renaissance. State was only open when there was a show. The audience downtown St. Petersburg has changed.
“No Clubs and Tony—I love those guys. They filled in a gap of history that I think was really important,” Chadwick said. “And at the same time. I don’t think that one dimensional perspective is relevant today.”
“State Theatre didn’t have an audience for every day,” Chadwick said. “We are reinventing the theater to be everything it was—and, and plus, plus, plus. So, we are still going to be very relevant on the music scene. That is who we are.”
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