UPDATED: 02/06/20 10:46 am
Come Feb. 12, Tampa Bay music fans can finally look at each other and say, “Hey, let’s go to New World Brewery.”
On Thursday, New World’s Spiritual janitor, Dean Rosenberger told CL that New World Brewery’s first day of business at its new location—810 E. Skagway Ave. in Sulphur Springs—happens when the old, original, wrought iron gates open on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 4 p.m.
Last week, in a phone call with CL Tampa Bay, Rosenberger said that the beloved live music venue, restaurant and bar—which, in 2017, closed in Ybor City after a 22-year run—received its certificate of occupancy.
DJ $tephmoney/DJ Cub/DJ CatMat/DJ Scott Imrich
Wed. Feb. 12, 6 p.m. No cover ($35 for all-you-can-eat pizza).
810 E. Skagway Ave., Tampa.
newworldbrewery.net
For those coming hungry on Wednesday, know that the only food available will be New World’s beloved and stone-seared pizzas, which are part of a $35 all-you-can-eat pizza party that comes with two drafts of the drinker’s choice. About 200 tickets will be sold.
Anyone who can’t eat $35 worth of delicious New World pizza, however, is still welcome, and CL contributor Stephanie Powers is scheduled to DJ on opening night along with DJs Cub, CatMat and Scott Imirch.
“We know we’re gonna get crushed,” Rosenberger said about the venue’s first few days open. No matter what I do I know we’re not gonna have enough people, but I also know after 30 years of doing this that I’m not gonna hire a bunch of people and then let the first month pass, and say, ‘OK we don’t need you anymore.’”
More hires will happen once the 300-person music hall side of the venue is open, but Rosenberger was mum on details about that.
However, The Love Doctors, regular performers at New World over the years, did announce a Valentine’s Day performance taking place at a “Brand new venue. You kinda know where it is (finally.)”
The Love Doctors
Fri. Feb. 14, Time and cover TBD.
810 E. Skagway Ave., Tampa.
INFO
The Love Doctors only ever performed at the old New World. So, we assumed that the brand new venue they are talking about is in fact the new New World, and not a new Starbucks.
If you don’t know, The Love Doctors—played by Tampa's Charlie Doan and David Waterman—is a sort of open mic celebration of all matters of the heart with all types of performers welcomed. The Doctors control the evening, while entertaining the crowds and never breaking character. Waterman has experience in character work as a longtime performer with the Bay Area Renaissance Festival.
The bar and outdoor area of the new New World—where the Doctors will play— will be home to no-cover shows on a stage facing a grassy knoll.
The Love Doctors last appeared at New World back in Sept. 2017, with “Fountain of Goof” celebrating an end of the New World Ybor era; people are already committing to performing with the Doctors, including Jobsite Theater’s Producing Artistic Director David Jenkins. “I want in,” Jenkins said in response to the announcement.
New World’s 300-person music hall–complete with its own entrance and exit—should provide relief for venues like Ybor City’s Crowbar, which have seemingly picked up every show that would’ve ended up on the patio at the old New World. Rosenberger was short when it came to details about the hall, but he did envision some shows starting and ending earlier, adding that other concerts would end well after the restaurant and bar closed down for the night.
SLIDESHOW
Check out photos of the new New World Brewery in Tampa’s Sulphur Springs
New World’s new location was last home to Tropix nightclub and is housed under the bones of the Matterhorn German Restaurant, which went away in the mid-’90s. In the summer of 2017, New World Brewery owner Steve Bird shared his thoughts about the new, permanent home six miles away from Ybor City.
“The shell is good, it was the Matterhorn, so the bones are strong,” Bird said. “It’s a lot of work, but the more I do the more encouraged I am. It’ll be New World on steroids. More importantly, we own it—we’re going to build a cathedral here.”
Finally time to go to back to church, we guess.
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