Five Best South Florida Venues According to the Bands Who Play Them

Sure, the price of a ticket or how far away a venue is might matter to someone who stands in the crowd at a show, but it can be the make-it-or-break-it for the guy performing.

We spoke to five local musicians to find out which South Florida venue is their favorite and why.

Here’s what they had to say.
1. Churchill's Pub
Where: 5501 NE Second Ave., Miami
Who: Sam Kooby of Bishop

"Churchill's holds a place in my heart because I've seen a lot of my favorite bands play there and have been lucky enough to have gotten to play there numerous times now. It's basically a historical landmark for me."
2. Propaganda
Where: 6 S. J St., Lake Worth
Who: Austen Erblat of Fuzzhound and Joel Da Silva and the Midnight Howl

"Propaganda in Lake Worth is one of my favorite places in South Florida! Matt and Jon have a great ear for local talent and host or put together great shows at their place every week. They compensate artists fairly, provide us with water and a few drinks, and are involved with city and nonprofit events for great causes."
3. The Kelsey Theater
Where: 700 Park Ave., Lake Park
Who: Billy Schmidt of Raggy Monster and the Whiskey Wasps

“Without a doubt (in my opinion), the best new venue in South Florida is the Kelsey Theater. We just performed there for the Brewhouse Gallery's two-year anniversary. The staff, atmosphere, decor, drink selection, and music are setting a new standard for what a music venue should be. They treat us like rock stars — set up a backstage room for us with a bucket of beer and a custom 3D-printed Raggy Monster label on the door.”
4. O’Malley’s
Where: 1388 N. State Road 7, Pompano Beach
Who: Ben Perman of Fero Lux

"Over the years, they have become progressively more friendly to performers, more open with the styles of music they'll host, more willing to host all-ages events and have made numerous, significant upgrades to their facility to improve the quality of shows that are hosted there.  This is all a reflection of the sentiments of the ownership who, I think, have made an obvious shift in their focus toward legitimizing their business as a real venue. It's still kind of a sports bar, but it's also kind of a real venue now, too."
5. The Bridge
Where: 4220 NW Seventh Ave., Miami
Who: Cari Giard of Peyote Coyote

"A great spot we’ve had the chance of playing is the Bridge in Miami. The venue itself is an art gallery, but once a month they throw an event called Melochromania, and it looks like it comes right out of the ‘60s.  It features live local psychedelic rock bands, a liquid light show, food trucks, and DJs that spin classic vinyl in between bands. It’s quite an experience."