In its seven-and-a-half year life, the late Alligator Alley in Oakland Park carved out a distinct swampy niche for itself. It was a rare intimate venue dedicated to a particularly old-Florida vibe, with geographically appropriate bar snacks, local micro-brews, and, most important, a nightly program of original, live blues and rock. (Fun fact: That's where we discovered the musicians who would eventually form current favorites Young Circles and Blonds.)
A city increase in taxes on alcohol sales after midnight, though, made it impossible for owner Carl "Kilmo" Pacillo to keep running the place in its old Commercial Boulevard location, and Alligator Alley shuttered in fall of 2009. (Click here for a wrap-up of its final night.) At the time, Pacillo indicated to New Times that he might look for another space. In ensuing years, though, he seems to have preferred playing bass with his own various blues acts. And who can blame him -- running a venue in South Florida is, at the very least, an uphill battle.
Good news, though! Earlier this morning, Pacillo announced via his Facebook page that he's jumping back into the venue game after all. He plans to open a new spot in downtown Hollywood soon, dedicated to both local and touring independent acts, again with nights dedicated to original blues, jazz, and multigenre jams.
It's unclear if it will appear under the old Alligator Alley brand. But like that dearly departed venue, the new club will again feature Florida-produced beers on tap and in bottles as well as a full liquor bar.
With a musician himself in charge, this proves highly promising -- a proper stage and quality production should be pretty much assured. We'll have more from Pacillo when he digs out from his overwhelming level of correspondence.
In the meantime, he's looking for both staff and acts to book. If you're interested, email [email protected] with "music venue" in the subject line, but send links only, no attachments.
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