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
2. Propaganda
Where: 6 S. J St., Lake Worth
Who: Austen
"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