BEST LOCAL PLACE TO PLAY A ROCK SHOW
Ruth Eckerd Hall and Jannus Landing
I like Ruth Eckerd Hall. And Jannus Landing. The smaller venues are better for me. It's like more of a party. Jannus is like this outdoor kinda juke joint. They're good to us. They renovated the dressing rooms, so it's more comfortable up there. The thing about Jannus Landing is that they have all kinds of acts there, not just one genre.
Jannus Landing, 200 First Ave. N., St. Petersburg, 727-896-1244; Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 N. McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater, 727-791-7400.
BEST LOCAL PLACE TO SEE A ROCK SHOW
St. Pete Times Forum
I saw Robert Plant and Jimmy Page there. It was the first show of their tour in the States. I actually snuck into the show. I know the parking lot guys there, so I asked them, "Can I park my car back there?" And they said, "Sure." I walked into (the backstage area). I knew one of the drum roadies, so I just pretended like he was expecting me. Then there was a guy from Ludwig (Drums) and he had extra passes. He gave us a pair. So I ended up right behind the stage watching two of my heroes.
St. Pete Times Forum, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa, 813-223-1000.
BEST PLACED TO GET RECOGNIZED
(Pause) At a Cheap Trick show (chuckles). Occasionally I get recognized, but it's nothing like it was 25 years ago. I'm not personally concerned about being recognized. I like to be incognito as much as possible. That's one of the reasons I moved from Chicago, and then L.A., to Florida. It's a more relaxed place. People aren't out looking for celebrities. You can walk around without being bugged too much. When I do get recognized, it's pretty laid back. I'll be walking through the mall and hear, "Hey Robin, how ya doin'?" I'll turn around, thinking it's one of my friends. I don't mind (exchanging pleasantries) in that type of situation.
BEST LOCAL ROCKER
Greg Billings
He's been around for about 25 years. Greg used to be in a band called Stranger, then he was in Damn The Torpedoes, now he has the Greg Billings Band. He's really talented, a great singer, and he's still doing it. I've done some work on his recordings, usually at Panda (Studios in Clearwater).
BEST ADVICE FOR LOCAL BANDS
There are a lot of good musicians in town, but a lot of them have a band for a month and then break up. Guys switch into other bands; everyone's been in everyone else's band. There's no cohesiveness. I know the crowds can be small, but back in the day (Cheap Trick) played for tiny crowds every night for four years before anyone noticed us. It was the music that interested us. We played small Midwest clubs for four years until we developed a following. And the following got bigger and bigger. You gotta stick it out a little longer. When people ask me advice about how to make it in a rock band, I say try and stay together long enough to grow as a band and have a following. Imagine traveling around the Midwest and one day getting a chance to go to Japan. Our first record was not selling in the States, but it had sold 30,000 copies over there, which is a lot for Japan. Imagine playing for 25 people in a bar (in the States), then getting on a plane and being greeted by 5,000 people in the airport in Japan. We knew we were selling some records, but we had no idea the kind of pandemonium we would encounter. We were chased everywhere. It was like being The Beatles.
BEST REASON TO SIGN WITH BIG 3 RECORDS IN ST. PETERSBURG INSTEAD OF A MAJOR LABEL
They're proactive. A small organization that pays attention to the artist. No one gets lost in the shuffle. They needed us as much as we wanted them. They're in St. Pete so I can go over and yell at 'em any time I want. We have a good relationship. Basically, Cheap Tricks has its own label, and Big 3 leased it out. They get a future record from us and a back catalog. The package includes about a dozen products, including a video and things like that. Overall, it's a better deal for us.
Big 3 Entertainment, 6090 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-343-1840.
BEST UPSCALE RESTAURANT
Salt Rock Grill
I like it because they make great mai tais, but not only that. The kids like it. It has the docks back there, where they bring the fish in on the boats. I find the restaurant staff to be excellent. I like the ahi tuna appetizer, but just about everything else on the menu is excellent. Sometimes, when I'm in the mood for some meat, they have a great meatloaf. And it's the cheapest thing on the menu. It's kind of funny ordering meatloaf in a nice restaurant, but it's really, really good.
Salt Rock Grill, 19325 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores, 727-593-7625.
BEST MODEST RESTAURANT
PJ's Oyster Bar
There are probably a hundred lower-end places that I like, but a place that comes immediately to mind is PJ's. They do fish. They do it fresh — from the ocean to your mouth. Another place, for breakfast, is Paradise in Safety Harbor. It's right on Main Street, a great family owned place. The menu's 10 pages thick, from gyros to scrambled eggs.
PJ's, 500 First St. N., Indian Rocks Beach, 727-596-5898; Paradise Restaurant, 443 Main St., Safety Harbor, 727-725-0618.
BEST PIZZA
Johnny's Italian
It's family owned, with a pleasant atmosphere. It's on (State Road) 590 just off McMullen-Booth (Road). They have a great selection of pizza, but it's also a full-menu Italian restaurant. It's cheap and it's excellent, and we generally go there as a family. They do deliver but we live fairly close, so are more apt to just drop in.
Johnny's Italian, 2907 S.R. 590, Clearwater, 727-797-2940.
BEST BAR
Harry's Bar
It's on (St. Pete) Beach, part of the Sirata Hotel, out toward the Don Cesar. They have live entertainment. We've been going there for years. They're like family. We walk up to the bar and our drinks are sitting on the bar waiting for us.
Harry's Bar, 5300 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, 727-363-5100.
BEST LOCAL SPORTS TEAM
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
We love our sports. I go to any Devil Rays games that I can. As far as the Lightning is concerned, one of our relatives works in the office, so we can get some freebees. But overall, I would have to say the Bucs. My wife has lived here all her life and has been a Bucs fan. I am now officially a Bucs fanatic. And I can tell you exactly when that happened. It was a few years ago. I was wearing a Bears jersey at a Bucs game, and I almost got my ass kicked. From that moment on, I decided to jump ship.
This article appears in Sep 25 – Oct 1, 2003.