RSS
Home
Happy Shack in St. Petersburg part of Tampa Bay music scene
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
.jpg)
Musician Jason Merritt plays at The Happy Shack.
From Billy Joel and Elton John, Britney Spears and Allen Jackson to Jimmy Buffett or local beach bar bands, Tampa Bay’s music scene can add enjoyment to any family vacation.
It’s the parents’ vacation too, so adults shouldn’t feel guilty about checking to see if a hotel has a kid-friendly programs or sitters that allow parents some time alone.
Tampa Bay has great venues such as the St. Pete Times Forum and the Ford Amphitheatre, but if shelling out $50 or more for a concert ticket isn’t in the budget, vacationers can enjoy the local music scene that has a lot to offer.
Area bars feature local musicians
If you’re staying at or near the beach, it’s not hard to find a beach bar or restaurant. Downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa haunts like Take 2 or the Ritz Ybor also are a great destination to get the local flavor.
Along with conch fritters and beer, live music is a staple of most bars and restaurants in Tampa Bay. Talented musicians and bands such as Triptych (Latin Rock,) hip-hop band The Basiqs, Will Quinlan and the Diviners (gospel rock) or Rebekkah Pulley hone their skills in the local music scene.
A great little bar and grill
If you want to get away from the usual fare and destinations, ask a local where to go.
One place that stands out is local "dive," The Happy Shack, 4400 4th Street, N., in St. Petersburg.
The modest restaurant and bar is a newbie in the 4th Street lineup of great bars and eateries.
Partners Jim LoBianco and Burton Bullard opened the doors Sept. 29, 2008. Offerings on the menu are delicious and downright cheap. Spicy steamed green beans (75 cents) or a cup of nachos is less than $3 and the highest price on the menu for a full sandwich is $6.50.
A draft of an American brew is going to cost you 99 cents. Higher end beers aren’t much more. Veteran St. Petersburg bar tender Kim Bailey takes care of customers who all seem to know her from her stint in other downtown bars.
“The Happy Shack has a laid back attitude,” says co-owner Jim LoBianco. “This is the place to come when you are in a good mood; it's not a place to drown your sorrows.”
The atmosphere invites families, even with young children, in to enjoy the cheap and yummy eats. But the atmosphere definitely leans to an older crowd later in the evening as the diners thin out.
If you are looking for a quiet dive to play pool or drink beer with friends, this is the place.
On Thursdays, St. Petersburg musician Jason Merritt plays his brand of music. Merritt, who writes most of his own songs, cut his teeth playing with indie rock band Cuban Sandwich Crisis in the St. Petersburg music scene. He blends his show with less-known Jimmy Buffett songs (this is Florida after all,) Irish drinking songs and pop rock.
“We're always looking for new talent to feature," LoBianco said. "We want musicians who are not real loud and not real invasive. Jason fits in with the laid back neighborhood hang-out atmosphere.”
Bailey is putting together aTuesday Night Music Club jam session, inviting area musicians to come play alone or together that night, starting in May.
The Happy Shack opens at noon every day and is open until 2 a.m.
For more info: Tampa Bay Music Scene.
Related Articles:
Comments
.jpg)
