Jannus Live (originally known as Jannus Landing) is an outdoor music venue in

St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. It is the ...

. Located in the

Downtown St. Petersburg Historic District The Downtown St. Petersburg Historic District is a U.S. historic district (designated as such on April 30, 2004) located in St. Petersburg, Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is ...

, the courtyard venue has hosted numerous concerts for local and mainstream artists. The venue was founded in 1984 by Bob Barnes & Bill Pendergast & Gene Bryant and was named after pilot,

Tony Jannus Antony Habersack Jannus, more familiarly known as Tony Jannus (July 22, 1889 – October 12, 1916), was an early American pilot whose aerial exploits were widely publicized in aviation's pre-World War I period. He flew the first airplane from ...

. In 2009, the venue was renovated and opened later in March 2010 under a new owner Jeff Knight "Jannus Live" and management. The venue is cited for hosting the most concerts in the Bay Area. In 2010, the venue was awarded "Best Small Concert Venue" and "Best Back in the Saddle" from the

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Best of Bay Awards. This venue is known for having outdoor standing room only. No outside seating is permitted to enter the venue.

History

The open-air music hall opened in 1984, as a means to attract reggae and punk rock shows to the

Tampa Bay Area The Tampa Bay area is a major populated area surrounding Tampa Bay on the west coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. It is the 18th largest metropolitan area in the United St ...

. Upon opening, the venue was exclusive to local bands. The site hosted its first mainstream act,

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in December 1987. The band returned in 1989, nearly causing the venue to close due to several fines for noise ordinance. Since then, the venue has become the spot for hosting mid-sized rock concerts. A part of the venue is a nightclub, Club Detroit. The club has a small balcony where concerts can be viewed. The venue also contains a nightclub separate from the concert area itself. It is known for its twin poles on stage and in the audience area, with a circus-tent-like tarp across the top.

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has been quoted in an interview with WSUN-FM that the pole in the audience is covered in a kind of goo, which is supposedly meant to keep fans from climbing the poles. In 2009, owner Jack Bodziak was arrested by state agents in May on charges that he failed to pay more than $200,000 in sales tax on revenues from Jannus Landing. The music venue reopened in March 2010 under new operators Jeff Knight and Bill Edwards. Improvements include the addition of suites, a lounge and a koi pond, which has been added to the back deck.

Notable performers

References

{{Coord, 27.771671, -82.636063, type:landmark, display=title Music venues in Florida Buildings and structures in St. Petersburg, Florida Tourist attractions in St. Petersburg, Florida 1984 establishments in Florida Event venues established in 1984