When the musicians and fans who make up the core of the Bay area local music scene sit around and wonder why we don't see more new faces at shows, it sometimes escapes us that a lot of folks wouldn't know where to find new original music even if they wanted it. To that end, here's a fairly comprehensive list of the small to medium-sized venues, on both sides of the Bay, that feature local tunes on at least a weekly basis. This doesn't cover every single space that hosts original live music once in a while, or even fairly often – The Skatepark of Tampa, Clearwater's 688 Skatepark, St. Pete's Globe Coffee Lounge, and downtown Tampa's Club 112 spring immediately to mind – but we did try to include every bar, club and grotto that puts hometown artists on the stage every weekend, and often more frequently than that.
So pull it out. Stick it on your fridge. And when hitting the same bar for the ninth Friday in a row seems a bit anticlimactic, pick a place off this list, stop by for a few and listen to some of what Tampa Bay music has to offer.
(Some capacities are approximate.)
THE BANK
1919 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-898-4488
The Hood: West end of downtown St. Petersburg, near Extra Innings and Rick's ACL, past the 275 overpass
The Space: One large warehouse-style room for concerts and a smaller lounge for DJs. Local visual artists have adorned the walls and the fixtures (800 capacity)
The Sound: Rock/Alternative/Punk/Indie/Dance
The Hooch: Full liquor
The Grub: N/A, but is near both Extra Innings and the St. Pete Diner
The Door: $0-$10
BOOMERZ/BOILER ROOM
http://www.boomerzboilerroom.com
6990 Seminole Blvd., Seminole, 727-391-7066
The Hood: Seminole, next to a Discount Auto Parts
The Space: Nationals and locals showcase in a nicely redone main room that features a sunken stage-front pit and a side-slung balcony. There's also a café side for the acoustic/cover acts (150 capacity café/750 capacity main room)
The Sound: Rock/Alternative/Classic Rock/Punk/Metal/Acoustic
The Hooch: Full liquor, both sides
The Grub: On the Café side: burgers, wings, appetizers and more
The Door: $5-$20
BOURBON STREET
http://www.clubbourbonstreet.com
4331 U.S. Hwy 19 N. New Port Richey, 727-843-0686
The Hood: U.S. 19's typical suburban sprawl
The Space: Big, taking up an entire side of a strip mall – the doors open on a long main bar, with the large stage and dance floor to the left (900 capacity)
The Sound: Classic Rock/Rock/Alternative/Metal/'80s
The Hooch: Full liquor
The Grub: Bar food
The Door: $0-$20
BRASS MUG1441 E. Fletcher Ave., Tampa, 813-972-8152
The Hood: North Tampa/USF area. Across the street from The Groove DJ store
The Space: The CBGBs of Tampa Bay, it's a shotgun-style strip-mall space with the stage up front by the door (100 capacity)
The Sound: Metal/Rock/Punk/Indie
The Hooch: Full liquor
The Grub: N/A, but nearby fast food abounds
The Door: $3-$10
CITY LIGHTS4900 66th St. N., Pinellas Park, 727-541-6130
The Hood: Classic main-thoroughfare urban sprawl – convenience stores abound
The Space: A room near the back of the venue hosts live bands, while the dance floor (formerly used by exotic dancers, and still adorned with poles and mirrors) in the main room is for DJs (300 capacity)
The Sound: Rock/Alternative/Punk/Indie
The Hooch: Full liquor
The Grub: N/A, but is across the street from an IHOP
The Door: $3-$8
DAVE'S BAR AND GRILLE10820 Gandy Blvd., St. Petersburg, 727-576-1091
The Hood: Seedy beach bars, marinas and the occasional professional building
The Space: A small stage is centered on one long side of this bikers-and-blues rectangle, opposite the bar; tables surround an old-school stage-front dance floor (75 capacity)
The Sound: Lots of blues/R&B/variety on weeknights; Alt/pop/rock/blues on weekends
The Hooch: Full liquor
The Grub: Sandwiches and sides, or entrees from Jerry's Barefoot BBQ – Jerry cooks 'em up on an oil-drum grill out front
The Door: $0-$6
DUNEDIN BREWERY
937 Douglas Ave., Dunedin, 727-736-0606
The Hood: Just off Dunedin's picturesque downtown main drag
The Space: An open, unpretentious room with a contemporary meeting-hall/grog-hall vibe and a small stage front and center (150 capacity)
The Sound: Singer-songwriter/rock/pop/punk
The Hooch: They brew their own beer, and it rules
The Grub: Burgers, sandwiches, burritos, fish tacos – a slightly eclectic take on bar food
The Door: $0-$5
EMERALD BAR550 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-898-6054
The Hood: Downtown St. Pete, a block from the Uptown, the State Theatre, and the Globe Coffee Lounge
The Space: The place to have the last drink of the night in downtown St. Pete. Despite having hip all-original music every weekend, the Emerald remains a true dive bar, right down to the jukebox, which still plays 45s (75 capacity)
The Sound: Rock/Punk/Indie/Acoustic/Electronic/Hip-Hop
The Hooch: Full liquor
The Grub: N/A, and good luck finding any downtown after midnight
The Door: $3-$5
GASOLINE ALLEYhttp://www.gasalleycafe.com
17928 U.S Hwy 19 N., Clearwater, 727-532-0265
The Hood: Like every other block on U.S. 19 – strip malls and more strip malls
The Space: The two-tiered main room features a raised dining area and a cleared dance floor in front of a corner stage. There's also a game room with a second bar and pool tables (250 capacity)
The Sound: Rock/Hard Rock/Classic Rock
The Hooch: Full liquor
The Grub: Some creative twists on bar-food staples. The fajitas are a too-drunk-to-care favorite
The Door: $5-$10
GASPAR'S GROTTO
1805 E. Seventh Ave., Ybor City, 813-248-5900
The Hood: Deep in the heart of Ybor's Party Central
The Space: Nice, big, upscale room with long central bar and booths along the walls; next door is an open-air courtyard with a big stage and square tiki bar (180 capacity bar/620 capacity courtyard)
The Sound: Covers and variety during the week; jam bands/singer-songwriters/funk/world beat/bluegrass on Fridays
The Hooch: Full liquor
The Grub: N/A for now, but a full kitchen is in the works
The Door: $0-$10
GORILLA THEATERwww.gorilla-theatre.com
4419 N. Hubert Ave. Tampa, 813-879-2914
The Hood: Drew Park, a mostly industrial section of Tampa, near Raymond James Stadium, west of Dale Mabry
The Space: An 80-seat theatre that's home to the Gorilla Theatre troupe. Excellent acoustics. No bad sight lines. Consummately intimate.
The Sound: Acoustic jazz by an array of local and national acts (Ira Sullivan, Gary Smulyan, Michael Ross Quartet); shows happen about once a month, and are mostly Sunday (3 p.m.) matinees presented by the Tampa Jazz Club
The Hooch: Basic beer and wine
The Grub: N/A
JAVA JUNCTION703 E. Franklin St., Clearwater, 727-799-1100
The Hood: Just south of the downtown strip, amid warehouses and a police station
The Space: Locals will remember this rustic, airy room as the former Club More (500 capacity)
The Sound: Singer-songwriter/jam bands/pop/rock
The Hooch: Beer and wine
The Grub: Sandwiches, salads, appetizers – healthier fare than your average song-hole
The Door: $0-$5
THE MARTINI CLUBhttp://www.themartiniclub.net
520 Douglas Ave., Dunedin, 727-734-0885
The Hood: Just south of beautiful downtown Dunedin. Ten yards from the Pinellas Trail.
The Space: A small, dark place to grab a martini and check out some cool art from owner Chris Meadows' personal collection (including a piece by Lance Rodgers). Can get smoky if more than a few people decide to light up. (75 capacity)
The Sound: Has established itself as folk and jam-band friendly, but also hosts rock/ska/punk shows.
The Hooch: Full liquor
The Grub: N/A, but downtown Dunedin is home to Kelly's, Casa Tina and many others.
The Door: $0-$5
MASQUERADE/INFINITY ROOM
http://www.masqueradetampa.com
1503 E. Seventh Ave., Ybor City, 813-247-3319
The Hood: Right on the corner of Seventh and Republica de Cuba, the gateway to Ybor City's main drunk-drag
The Space: The cavernous main room hosts some locals, but mostly nationals of every underground stripe; to the right, the Infinity Room does local bands and up-and-coming indie acts several nights a week (1,200 capacity main room/300 capacity Infinity Room)
The Sound: Anything and everything, from metal and industrial to country and hip-hop
The Hooch: Full liquor
The Grub: For big main-room shows, hot dogs, pizza and pretzels are sometimes available; otherwise, N/A, though food abounds on Seventh
The Door: $3-$30
NEPTUNE LOUNGE
http://www.theneptunelounge.com
13 S. Safford Ave., Tarpon Springs, 727-943-5713
The Hood: Downtown Tarpon, right off the main drag – the front door opens on the Pinellas Trail
The Space: Wider-than-average, roomy shotgun storefront; lounge up front, bar along one wall, stage at the back (200 capacity)
The Sound: rock/punk/jam bands
The Hooch: Beer and wine
The Grub: N/A, and a lot of Tarpon Springs shuts down early
The Door: $3-$5
NEW WORLD BREWERY1313 East Eighth Ave., Ybor City, 813-248-4969
The Hood: The western fringe of Ybor, away from the disco-hoopla; handily located across the street from Orpheum, another great small venue
The Space: Always-open French doors separate the indoor bar and the courtyard, where the bands play (200 capacity).
The Sound: Rock/Punk/Indie/Roots
The Hooch: Beer & wine only, but one of the best selections of import draughts in the Bay area
The Grub: Excellent thin-crust pizzas, from usual toppings to custom creations
The Door: $3-$6
THE ORPHEUM
http://www.statemedia.com/shows.html
1902 14th Ave., Ybor City, 813-248-9500
The Hood: Ybor's western edge, across the street from New World Brewery
The Space: A dark, dank old corner building with a raised bar area and large, open stage-front dance floor. (300 capacity)
The Sound: Punk/Indie/Rock/Alternative/Hip-Hop/Electronic/DJ
The Hooch: Full liquor
The Grub: N/A, but there's always food within a short walk in Ybor
The Door: $5-$15
PEGASUS LOUNGE
http://www.pegasusniteclub.com
10008 N. 30th St., Tampa, 813-971-1679
The Hood: A quieter, strip mall-lined artery between Busch and Fowler in Temple Terrace
The Space: Dark, inviting strip-mall dive, but with a coolly seedy punk/metal vibe. Pool tables and a corner stage dominate the bar-front main area (250 capacity)
The Sound: punk/rock/metal
The Hooch: full liquor
The Grub: N/A
The Door: $3-$7
SACRED GROUNDS 4819 E. Busch Blvd., Tampa, 813-983-0837
The Hood: Typical suburban America – offices, convenience stores, chain restaurants
The Space: Homey, multi-roomed space with a coffee and snack bar, and no real stage to speak of (50 capacity)
The Sound: folk/pop/singer-songwriter/comedy
The Hooch: N/A
The Grub: Cookies, cakes, chips, assorted snacks
The Door: $0-$5
SKIPPER'S SMOKEHOUSE
http://www.skipperssmokehouse.com/shows.html
910 Skipper Rd., Tampa, 813-971-0666
The Hood: North Tampa, near Fowler and Nebraska
The Space: Behind the restaurant is an outdoor stage, under a canopy of trees, lovingly dubbed "The Skipperdome" (800 capacity)
The Sound: Jam/Folk/Roots/Indie/alt-country/rockabilly
The Hooch: Full liquor and beer, including locally brewed selections
The Grub: Florida cuisine – gator, hush puppies, catch of the day, as well as the usual burgers and sandwiches
The Door: $0-$30
STATE THEATRE
687 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-895-3045
The Hood: Downtown St. Petersburg
The Space: A historic, "converted" (read: gutted) theatre that now hosts touring headliners and showcasing locals as well as the occasional film fest (500 capacity)
The Sound: Rock/Alternative/Punk/Indie/Metal/Jam/Hip-Hop/You Name It
The Hooch: Full liquor
The Grub: N/A, but is near both The Globe Coffee Lounge and Bangkok Thai
The Door: Between $5-$30
UPTOWN BAR & CAFE658 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-463-0567
The Hood: Part of the downtown St. Pete venue-crawl that includes the Emerald, the State Theatre, and the Globe Coffee Lounge
The Space: Music in the front, chairs and bar in the middle, pool table in the back, cigarette smoke everywhere (90 capacity)
The Sound: Rock/Punk/Indie/DJ/Roots/Folk
The Hooch: Beer and wine
The Grub: N/A
The Door: $3-$8
VIVA LA FRIDA CAFÉ & GALERIA
5901 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, 813-231-9199
The Hood: Seminole Heights, just north of Hillsborough; amid light industrial and car lots
The Space: Funky hodge-podge of spaces; main stage is a partially covered courtyard that holds up to 300; also a small stage in the restaurant.
The Sound: Pretty much anything that's not overly loud; jazz, blues, folk, Celtic
The Hooch: beer (a good selection of Mexican) and wine
The Grub: The family-run restaurant is an homage to Mexican artist Frida Kahlo; serves Mexican (authentic Sonoran regional cuisine) and fusion.
Compiled by Scott Harrell, Joran Oppelt and Eric Snider.
This article appears in Apr 13-19, 2005.