BOOMERZ BOILER ROOM
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 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
4331 U.S. 19, 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 MUG
1441 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
CROWBAR
1812 17th St. N., Tampa, 813-241-5600
The Hood: Just off the main Ybor drag.
The Space: Sizeable stage and indoor bar plus elevated seating area. Also features an outdoor patio area (300 capacity).
The Sound: Rock/indie/electronic/folk/metal
The Hooch: Full liquor
The Grub: N/A, but plenty of Greek, Italian and more in Ybor City
The Door: $0-$10
DAVE'S AQUA LOUNGE
10820 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 entrées 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 BAR
550 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
The Door: $3-$5
THE GARAGE
662 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-553-9212
The Hood: Across from the State Theatre
The Space: High ceiling; long, narrow room with elevated stage in the back; lounge area opposite the bar near front entrance (250 capacity).
The Sound: Rock/hard rock/jam band/funk/jazz
The Hooch: Beer and wine
The Grub: N/A
The Door: $0-$5
GASOLINE ALLEY
17928 U.S. 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
GLOBE COFFEE LOUNGE
532 First Ave. N., St. Petersburg, 727-898-JAVA
The Hood: Just one block northeast of the State Theatre, behind the Ovo Cafe
The Space: Couches and chairs. The walls feature local and national art and the bar is centered along the side wall (100 capacity).
The Sound: Folk, singer/songwriter, occasional rocking. (No P.A.)
The Hooch: Coffee, beer and wine
The Grub: Desserts and various vegetarian specialties
The Door: $0-$5
JANNUS LANDING
16 Second St. N., St. Petersburg, info@jannuslandingconcerts.
The Hood: A few blocks west of the water in downtown St. Petersburg, near the Baywalk district
The Space: Beautiful, ol', outdoor courtyard with elevated, wooden patio. Backs up against Mastrys and the Tamiami (1,000 capacity).
The Sound: Rock/alternative/punk/indie/metal/jam/hip-hop/you-name-it
The Hooch: Full liquor
The Grub: No food, but a short walk to Fortunato's Pizza After Dark
The Door: $10-40
THE MAJESTIC
22 N. Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater, 727-446-4000
The Hood: Downtown Clearwater, near the intersection of Ft. Harrison and Cleveland St.
The Space: Formerly Liquid Blue. Mirrors and columns, normal club atmosphere. Small corner stage and a dancefloor in one of the balconies (500 capacity).
The Sound: DJs/rock/punk/reggae/pop/acoustic
The Hooch: Full liquor, Beer and wine
The Grub: N/A
The Door: $5-$8
NEPTUNE LOUNGE
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 BREWERY
1313 E. 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 and 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
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
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
RASHER TIERNEY'S
5106 14th Street W. (U.S. 41), Bradenton. 941-752-1531.
For booking inquiries, call Ben at: 941-524-2099
The Hood: Suburban America — convenience stores and chains
The Space: Two rooms in one. The front room: An authentic Irish Pub (nonsmoking) featuring a wooden stage in the corner. The back room: Small bar with room enough for a few tables and booths. Bands play on the floor against the far wall. Both rooms provide small PAs for sound. (Restaurant: 300 capacity / back room: 150 capacity.)
The Sound: Rock/punk/folk/Celtic
The Hooch: Full liquor and beer
The Grub: The restaurant serves everything from authentic shepherd's pie to chicken quesadillas.
The Door: $5. 21+
SACRED GROUNDS
4819 E. Busch Blvd., Tampa, 813-983-0837
The Hood: Typical suburban America — offices, convenience stores, chain restaurants
The Space: Homey, multiroomed 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
SKATEPARK OF TAMPA
4215 E. Columbus Drive, Tampa, 813-621-6793 (Matt)
The Hood: "Two miles east of the Tampa Metropolitan Area. One exit east of Ybor City off of I-4."
The Space: Transitions Art Gallery — the back warehouse at Skatepark of Tampa (150 capacity).
The Sound: Metal/punk/indie
The Hooch: N/A
The Grub: N/A
The Door: Mostly $5
SKIPPER'S SMOKEHOUSE
910 Skipper Road, Tampa, 813-971-0666 (Tom)
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 (Jack or Tony)
The Hood: Downtown St. Petersburg
The Space: A historic "converted" (read: gutted) theater 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 Globe Coffee Lounge and Bangkok Thai.
The Door: Between $5-$30
UPTOWN BAR & CAFE
658 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
Maintained and updated by Southeast Music Alliance at smaflorida.com.
Music Issue 2007: Chicks Rock
Tampa Bay's top 10 women musicians — plus 100 must-have CDs by women artists
This article appears in Apr 11-17, 2007.