711 N. Franklin St., Tampa, 813-274-8981, tampatheatre.org
Opened in 1926, the Tampa Theatre is clearly the Bay area's most storied venue — the only one on the National Register of Historic Places. Hell, it was the first commercial building in Tampa to feature air-conditioning. The building almost fell to the wrecking ball, but the city of Tampa stepped in, restored it, and in 1978, the theater re-opened for concerts and movies. The grandiloquent interior, with its antique facades, statues and plush red seats, is truly impressive. The concert sound is generally good, especially at lower volumes. Legroom can be a problem, but it's easily overlooked in such stately surroundings.
Memories Tom Waits playing the troubadour tramp in the late '70s. • A handful of terrific Pat Metheny Group shows in the '80s and '90s •Shelby Lynne's local concert debut this year •Pop cabaret stars The Dresden Dolls' wonderfully melodramatic showing in January •Country singer/songwriter Iris DeMent breaking hearts with poignant tales of life's little ups and downs last August.
Capacity: 1,446
Grub: Snacks
Booze: Beer and wine
Next big show: Ray Davies, Nov. 28
This article appears in Nov 12-18, 2008.