VENUE RESOURCE MUSICIANS: Wondering where to play? MUSIC FANS: Looking for good places to hear great original local music? Bookmark this list! When the musicians and fans who make up the core of the Tampa 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 - Clearwater's 688 Skatepark, Czar, Empire 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 print 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.) BOOMERZ/BOILER ROOM http://www.boomerzboilerroom.com 6990 Seminole Blvd., Seminole, 727-391-7066 (Corey). 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 (Andrew). 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 (Heather) 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 http://www.crowbarlive.com 1812 17th Street N., Tampa, 813-241-5600 (Tom) 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: Free-$10 DAVE'S AQUA LOUNGE 10820 Gandy Blvd., St. Petersburg, 727-576-1091 (Dave) 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 http://www.dunedinbrewery.com 937 Douglas Ave., Dunedin, 727-736-0606 (Travis) 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 (George/Mo) 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 THE GARAGE http://www.myspace.com/garagepromotions 662 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-553-9212 (Japers) The Hood: Across from the State Theatre and Daddy Kool Records. The Space: (250 capacity) The Sound: Rock/Hard Rock The Hooch: Beer and wine. The Grub: N/A The Door: $0 - $5 GLOBE COFFEE LOUNGE http://www.globecoffeelounge.com 532 1st Ave. North, St. Petersburg, 727-898-JAVA (JoEllen) 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 http://www.jannuslandingconcerts.com 16 2nd St. North, St. Petersburg, info@jannuslandingconcerts.com (Jack) The Hood: A few blocks west of the water in downtown St. Petersburg, near the Baywalk district. The Space: Wide open outdoor courtyard. Backs up against Mastrys and the Tamiami. (1000 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 NEPTUNE LOUNGE http://www.theneptunelounge.com 13 S. Safford Ave., Tarpon Springs, 727-943-5713 (Eddie) 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 East Eighth Ave., Ybor City, 813-248-4969 (Joe) 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 1902 14th Ave., Ybor City, 813-248-9500 (Dave or Tony) 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 RASHER TIERNEY'S http://www.myspace.com/rashertierneysbooking 5106 14th Street W. (US 41), Bradenton, 34207. (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 (non-smoking) 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 Shephard'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, 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 SKATEPARK OF TAMPA http://www.skateparkoftampa.com 4215 East Columbus Dr., 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 http://www.skipperssmokehouse.com 910 Skipper Rd., 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 http://www.statemedia.com 687 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-895-3045 (Jack or Tony) 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 TRE AMICI at THE BUNKER 1907 19th St. N., Tampa, 813-247-6964 (Jessie) The Hood: Historic Ybor City, next to Centennial Park. The Space: Modern coffee and snack bar, Bands set up in the front window. Highly recommended that artists bring their own P.A. (60 capacity) The Sound: folk/pop/singer-songwriter/jazz. The Hooch: Beer and wine The Grub: Cookies, cakes and more. The Door: $0-$5 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 Compiled by Scott Harrell, Joran Oppelt and Eric Snider. Maintained by Joran. Originally appeared in Creative Loafing (4.13.05)