Seventeen years into pouring craft beer and boutique wine out of a converted 1937 filling station, Independent Bar & Café is throwing open its doors for a weekend of no-cover concerts in Seminole Heights. Urbane Cowboys kick things off, and local favorite Lauris Vidal is also set to play a free show during the celebration.
According to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, there's no cover for the 17th anniversary concerts happening at the bar on Friday and Sunday, October 9 and 11, giving Seminole Heights locals two dates to plan around.
Urbane Cowboys get the festivities started, with the band set to perform Friday night. A Creative Loafing event listing pins that opening set at 7 p.m., billing it as part of the Independent Bar & Cafe's 17th anniversary celebration.
A One-Man Band Known for Rowdy Americana
Lauris Vidal, meanwhile, plays a free show in Seminole Heights this weekend as part of the anniversary run. He's known for his one-man-band show, and his upbeat, rowdy take on Americana is well known in these parts, per the cltampa.com report.
Seventeen Years in a Converted Filling Station
The anniversary milestone traces back to founder Veronica Danko, who purchased a 1937 filling station in 2008 and turned it into what the bar's own website calls a favorite neighborhood gathering spot serving craft beer, boutique wine, and cafe fare since 2009, according to independentbartampa.com. The bar's website also says it features live music every weekend, making this weekend's free shows less a departure from the norm than a bigger, cover-free version of what Independent already does.
This isn't the first time the bar has marked its birthday with free live music. A Creative Loafing search snippet referenced the Independent celebrating its 14th anniversary with a similar weekend of free concerts, suggesting the no-cover format has become something of a tradition for the Seminole Heights staple.
