local music venues

Jacksonville and its surrounding areas have a wealth of venues to visit if you’re in the mood for some live, original music.

brewster’s pit
(904) 223-9850, www.myspace.com/brewsterspit (East Arlington / Beaches)
14003 Beach Blvd.
Touring and local rock and metal bands are what you can usually expect to hear at the Pit, but you may catch the occasional punk, ska or reggae act as well. The recently remodeled venue features a brand new sound board, VIP seating and a wall of fame with photos commemorating some of the most memorable acts to play the Pit’s stage. For some of Jacksonville’s best cover bands, head next door to Brewster’s Pub.

cafe eleven
(904) 460-9311, www.cafeeleven.com
(St. Augustine) 501 A1A Beach Blvd.
While the concerts at Cafe Eleven are few and far between, the shows that do come through are not to be missed. The best and brightest of the indie rock scene have doled out intimate, memorable performances over the years including Over the Rhine, Rainier Maria, Iron & Wine, Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Vampire Weekend. In addition to their live shows, Cafe Eleven is also a restaurant that serves up excellent food including a weekend brunch that’s worth waking up for.

doozers pub
(904) 738-8922, www.myspace.com/doozerspub (North Shore)
7636 N. Main St.
Whacksonville.com called Doozers the only true punk venue left in our fair city and we agree. In addition to the local and national punk acts that come through regularly, the pub has been known to book metal, folk, bluegrass and rockabilly bands too. Doozers has open mic night each and every Monday, giving musicians of any genre an opportunity to share their tunes, and nightly drink specials.

edge 17
(904) 629-0769, edge17.com (Murray Hill)
1187 Edgewood Ave. S.
The building that houses Edge 17 has changed hands and has been reinvented a number of times over the years. Its newest incarnation is almost a throwback to the mid- to late-90s when the club was called the Continent. Edge 17 is the place to go to see progressive rock, industrial and dark wave acts. In addition to live music, the venue also hosts DJ nights like “Rise” on Saturdays (house, funk and groove) and “Factory” on Fridays (goth-industrial).

european street listening rooms
(904) 399-1740, www.hackingcat.com
(Two locations in the Jacksonville area)
Featuring original acoustic music with local, national and international touring artists, European Street is a small venue that has been serving the community since 1996. Expect to hear everything from country to bluegrass to blues to rock at E-Street. Each location is also famous around town for their signature sandwiches and salads.

freebird live
(904) 246-BIRD, www.freebirdlive.com (Jacksonville Beach) 200 1st St. N.
Owned by Judy Van Zant, Ronnie Van Zant’s widow, and named after Lynyrd Skynyrd’s most beloved song, Freebird Live is a mid-sized venue that brings a variety of big-name and on-the-cusp acts to the First Coast. The two-story building offers fans the opportunity to see bands at the foot of the stage or get a great view of the entire show from the second-floor balcony.

jack rabbits
(904) 398-7496, www.jackrabbitsonline.com (San Marco) 1528 Hendricks Ave.
A Jacksonville institution, Jack Rabbits has been bringing in big national acts and nurturing small local ones for over ten years. The venue is only open for concerts, one of the first of its kind in the North Florida area, and only features live, original music.

landshark cafe
(904) 246-6024, www.myspace.com/landsharkcafe (Jacksonville Beach)
1728 3rd St. N.
In addition to their food and drink specials, Landshark Cafe serves up a heaping helping of some of the best live music at the Beach. From rock to reggae to punk to acoustic, the venue doesn’t cater to any particular genre or audience. Past acts have included Whole Wheat Bread, Valiant Thorr, Guttermouth and Yellowman.

mavericks rock n’ honky tonk
(904) 356-1110, (Downtown)
www.mavericksatthelanding.com
2 Independent Dr.
Until recently, Mavericks was merely a country club with live music maybe once a month. These days, though, the honky-tonkin’, mechanical bull boasting venue is hosting more and more concerts, making this the place to go to see immerging and established country artists. Be sure to head upstairs for the VIP treatment in an area they like to call “Miss Ellie’s Bardello.”

the sinclair
(904) 358-0005, www.thesinclairjax.com
(Downtown) 521 W Forsyth St.
Jacksonville’s newest venue has made a name for itself thanks in part to its eclectic entertainment schedule. In addition to the local bands and touring acts that regularly grace the Sinclair’s stage, on a given night you might find an improv comedy act or a bit of experimental theatre. But regardless of who’s performing when you wander into this Downtown club, rest assured that when you walk out you’ll have a story to share.

mojo kitchen
(904) 247-6636, www.mojobbq.com
(Jacksonville Beach) 1500 Beach Blvd.
The home of some of the best barbeque in town is also Jacksonville’s only true blues club. Mojo’s Jacksonville Beach location (there are two others around town) has been holding concerts featuring blues, bluegrass and country musicians since 2006. The laid back atmosphere, first-class grub and top-notch performers have made Mojo Kitchen a beaches staple.

murray hill theatre
(904) 388-3179, www.murrayhilltheatre.com (Murray Hill) 932 Edgewood Ave. S.
The Murray Hill Theatre recently cele-brated its 14th year of giving Jacksonville music lovers a safe, positive place to hang out and see live bands. Some of the biggest names in Christian music have played the Murray Hill including POD, Switchfoot, Underoath and Toby Mac. The Hill is also home to a recording studio, a cafe and a record store.

nobby’s tavern
(904) 825-4959, www.myspace.com/nobbystavern (St. Augustine) 10 Anastasia Blvd.
For a long time there wasn’t much for hip people to do in St. Augustine. The recent addition of live music at Nobby’s Tavern has changed all that. Now a local hotspot, the venue brings in new and emerging local, nat-ional and international acts every week. Past acts include Alligator, the Winslows, Chicken & Whiskey, Tubers, Antarctic and Spider+ Octopus.

shantytown
(904) 798-8222, www.myspace.com/shantytownpub (Springfield) 22 W. 6th St.
A local favorite, Shantytown is a cozy little neighborhood bar that offers a wide variety of live music every week. In addition to the terrific local and touring acts that regularly perform there, Wednesdays at Shanty feature bands from Infinitesmal Records as part of their weekly showcase series.

st. augustine amphitheatre
(904) 471-1965, http://staugamp.sjcvenues.com (St. Augustine) 1340C A1A South
One of the largest stages on the First Coast, the St. Augustine Amphitheatre is where to go to see some of the biggest tour-ing acts making the rounds today. The concert hotspot holds over 4000 people and often reaches that capacity when bands like the Offspring, the Beach Boys, the Black Crowes and Modest Mouse come to town.

tsi discotheque
(904) 424-3531, www.clubtsi.com
(Downtown) 333 E. Bay St.
Considered Jacksonville’s premiere under-ground nightclub and venue, TSI has been the best place to hear the newest music since it opened back in 2004. The club has hosted acts like Bonde do Role, Black Lips and Busdriver and continues to bring in phenomenal local, national and international bands each month.