| There are many places to hear live music in Sarasota | | | | tunes, as well as some fine originals. |
| FL, on any night of the week. The area attracts | | | | HILLVIEW STREET, SOUTHSIDE VILLAGE |
| many talented musicians, and the venues are plentiful | | | | Located across the street from the Sarasota |
| and diverse. From beach bar cafes on Siesta Key to | | | | Memorial Hospital parking garage, between Tamiami |
| outdoor dining and dancing downtown, to farmers | | | | Trail and Osprey Avenue, Hillview Street is lined with |
| markets, to theaters, you're sure to find favorite | | | | restaurants and nightspots. The 5 O'Clock Club offers |
| haunts to return to every year or every week. | | | | music that's loud and danceable, and smoking is |
| One pleasant aspect of the Sarasota nightlife scene | | | | permitted. On Monday nights from 8:30P - 12 |
| is that it attracts people of all ages, and is very | | | | Midnight, Al Fuller's Blues Jam at the 5 O'Clock Club is |
| casual and laid back, so it's comfortable to go out | | | | a dynamic melange of local pros and almost-pro |
| with a group, with a friend, or by yourself. Many | | | | musicians who share the stage to get the place |
| places are smoke-free, too. Here are some to try | | | | rocking with blues and rock 'n roll tunes. The dance |
| the next time you'd rather spend the evening | | | | floor serves up the dressy to the casual, the |
| enjoying live music instead of yet another DVD! | | | | high-steppers to the gentle swayers. Dance alone or |
| DOWNTOWN SARASOTA | | | | say yes if you want to spin around with a partner. |
| Mattison's City Grille is the epicenter of downtown | | | | There's less smoke to plough through if you get |
| Sarasota nightlife. It's located on the corner of Main | | | | there earlier in the evening. |
| Street and Lemon Avenue and is a covered outdoor | | | | New York, New York is a piano bar/restaurant that |
| restaurant with a spacious bar area and a small dance | | | | opened on HIllview Street last year. It's got live |
| floor. There's a different live band every night, and | | | | entertainment at the piano five nights a week, from |
| the quality is outstanding. If you like to dance, try | | | | 6 to 9PM. |
| Saturday nights, when T.C. and The Troublemakers | | | | Opening soon on Hillview Street will be a new branch |
| rock the place with Southern Rock, romantic slow | | | | of Gecko's, a family-friendly pub. Not clear at this |
| songs, and rock 'n roll standards. Thursday nights are | | | | point if there will be live music at Gecko's. Libby's |
| fun with The Venturas, whose diverse repertoire | | | | Restaurant, on S. Osprey Avenue, just south of |
| includes jazz, blues, soul, country and swing, with | | | | Hillview Street, is very popular for indoor and outdoor |
| soulful lead singer Ally Couch wowing the crowd with | | | | dining, as is Sam Snead's Restaurant, on the corner |
| her alternately soulful, rockin' and bluesy vocalizing. | | | | of Hillview Street and S. Osprey Avenue. |
| Since Mattison's City Grille is open-air, the smoking is | | | | SIESTA KEY VILLAGE |
| not much of a problem if you prefer smoke-free. | | | | This is Sarasota's fun and funky beach village, and it's |
| A popular destination for the late-night dessert and | | | | lined with bars and restaurants, family-friendly and |
| wine crowd is Sarasota Vineyards, a wine-tasting bar | | | | music-filled. Just walking down Ocean Blvd in Siesta |
| and cafe on Main Street just east of Lemon Avenue, | | | | Key Village, you'll see and hear a different musician |
| which features live music on Friday and Saturday | | | | playing live music at each one. S.K.O.B. (Siesta Key |
| nights. Take note of when Al Fuller and Gary Davis | | | | Oyster Bar), Gilligan's, The Hub Baja Grille, The Beach |
| harmonize there. It's guaranteed to be a friendly | | | | Club, Blu Smoke, and Blase Cafe all offer live music. |
| crowd, and the duo plays a lot of favorite songs | | | | Kettle of Fish is a favorite local band with an |
| from the 70s as well as originals. Music at Sarasota | | | | extensive songlist and great harmonies. There's |
| Vineyards is usually 8PM to 11PM. Non-smoking. | | | | Reggae at Gilligan's on Sunday afternoons. |
| A relatively new spot for the younger crowd is The | | | | GULF GATE VILLAGE |
| Box Social, whose decor is reminiscent of cafes in | | | | Just southeast of the intersection of Tamiami Trail |
| Greenwich Village in the 60s. With artful graffiti | | | | (Hwy 41) and Stickney Point Road is an older |
| illustrations on the walls, comfy sofas, tables and | | | | shopping district behind the Sarasota Pavilion, which is |
| chairs, and a bar, The Box Social offers up live music | | | | a destination for Sarasota nightlife. The two roads |
| by young and older musicians several nights a week. | | | | hosting most of the action are Gateway Avenue and |
| On Wednesday nights, check out the invitational jam | | | | Superior Avenue, both perpendicular to Gulf Gate |
| emceed by guitar virtuoso Jimi Gee. You never know | | | | Drive. |
| who you'll see, and the chemistry is interesting when | | | | On Gateway Avenue, The Irish Rover offers up |
| musicians who've never met get together to play at | | | | music seven nights a week, along with hearty pub |
| this comfortable cafe. The Box Social is on Main | | | | fare. Along with a lot of solid traditional Irish music |
| Street, just east of Lemon Avenue. On Saturday | | | | (and stellar performances on multiple instruments by |
| nights, there's a small cover charge of $5 to hear the | | | | Irish Rover owner Paul Duffy), there are some |
| band. Non-smoking. | | | | interesting shows on other nights. For instance, |
| SARASOTA BAYFRONT | | | | Thursday nights feature The Instigators, a Reggae |
| Marina Jack is an expansive restaurant that hugs the | | | | World Music reunion band that was popular in |
| edge of the yacht basin at Sarasota's Bayfront Park, | | | | Sarasota in the 1980s and recently came back |
| at the far west end of Main Street, in downtown | | | | together. On Tuesdays, make a point of hearing the |
| Sarasota. On the lower level, open to the expansive | | | | Michael Kach Group, composed of musicians with |
| view of boats and sunsets, is a bar with lots of | | | | stellar talents on keyboard, guitar and drums, and |
| tables and a roomy dance floor. Lots of live music at | | | | resumes that include touring with Dickey Betts and |
| Marina Jack. For example, Sunday afternoons need | | | | the Allman Brothers Band. On Sunday nights be |
| never be boring again, once you've danced to | | | | prepared to be amazed at the talents of |
| Democracy, an energetic and popular Reggae band | | | | Juvenocracy, a jazz band made up of middle school |
| that plays there on Sunday afternoons from 4 - 8PM. | | | | students. Seasoned adult professionals can't hold a |
| No need for a dance partner. Everyone gets onto | | | | candle to some of these kids. |
| the floor and has a good time. | | | | OTHER LOCATIONS: |
| Sarasota's Bayfront Park is anchored at one end by | | | | Other live music destinations worth exploring include |
| Marina Jack and at the other by O'Leary's Tiki Bar. | | | | J.R.'s Old Packinghouse Cafe (just east of Cattlemen |
| Nestled along the edge of the shore, with rowboats | | | | Road, on Old Packinghouse Road), where you can |
| and lapping waves as background, O'Leary's presents | | | | enjoy a warming meal along with blues and rock |
| live music in its outdoor seating area every afternoon | | | | bands six nights a week. The show begins at 7PM, |
| and evening. Look for John Howard there, sometimes | | | | but get there earlier if you want a table and faster |
| solo, sometimes with the John Howard Band. His | | | | service. The Old Packinghouse Cafe is Old Florida, for |
| songlist is full of favorite rock, folk-rock, and blues | | | | sure. |