Just one year after announcing an expansion to Key West, Florida, and Oxford, Mississippi, RockHouse Live International announced today that they have signed a deal to open yet another new location, this one located in historic downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. 

RockHouse Live is the first and only hybrid, live & virtual entertainment-themed restaurant and venue concept, created by veteran entertainment executives Zach Bair and Jock Weaver.

Nicknamed the Sunshine City for its year-round gorgeous weather and stunning beaches, St. Pete is famous for its robust local and tourist driven support of businesses. The city is always packed with happy shoppers and diners of all ages, who enjoy non-stop festivals, events, and a monthly special night out downtown called “First Friday.”

The new location will be located in the epicenter of St. Pete’s high-energy downtown, and will feature both indoor and outdoor seating, a full kitchen, and a full liquor bar.  It will also employ technologies commercialized by the sister company of which Bair is CEO, VNUE, Inc. (OTC: VNUE), including Soundstr, the company’s music recognition technology, as well as set.fm live recording capabilities.

The RockHouse Live brand is already well-known in St. Pete, since the popular Clearwater Beach flagship location is on the peninsula.

This is the fourth new location for the fast-expanding concept since launching its first RockHouse Live in Clearwater Beach in April, 2021, and the sixth location including the two original Memphis locations. Today, RockHouse Live Clearwater Beach is rated in the Top Ten Yelp list of Live Music Clearwater venues. 

Both Bair and Weaver bring decades of solid restaurant & music success to the table.

Bair is a famous music-tech entrepreneur beloved for his start-ups and success in music and technology, in ventures such as:

• Voyence: Bair founded the company as PowerUp Networks based on software of his design, and the company ultimately sold to EMC Corporation for north of $60 million.
• Immediatek: Another company founded by Bair, and taken public in 2002; acquired numerous music companies, and sold to Mark Cuban in 2006.
• DiscLive: Bair has helmed 17+ years of leadership during several mutations of the “pioneer in instant live recording,” including while the company was aligned with EMI Music and branded Abbey Road Live. Disclive has produced live content for artists like Peter Frampton, Slash and superstar Rob Thomas, and next year ventures out with matchbox twenty.
• VNUE: Currently CEO of VNUE, Inc., Bair has helmed the company for over five years, most recently announcing a $10 million funding commitment, as the company rolls out compelling tech solutions for music, such as its Soundstr music recognition technology (MRT).
• StageIt: Bair spearheaded VNUE’s acquisition of StageIt, the premier online experience connecting artists and their fans with ticketed livestream events, on February 14, 2022.

Weaver is known for his leadership in over 50 merger and/or acquisition transactions with values exceeding $350 million. He is a legendary entrepreneur known for his investment and management success in legacy companies, such as:

Hard Rock Café International: As president, Weaver brought the company public in the London Stock Exchange and the American Stock Exchange and grew it to $200 million.

TBA Entertainment; Weaver founded TBA Entertainment, one of the nation’s larger live event companies. He grew it to one of the top producers of live events and experiential marketing programs, and ultimately sold it to a group led by Whitney Capital.

The Village at Breckenridge: He acquired The Village at Breckenridge in Breckenridge Colorado, enhanced values, and sold it to Vail Resorts which went on to become the world’s largest ski company.

Live Nation: Weaver acquired Irvine Meadows Amphitheater, enhanced values, and sold it to a group that ultimately became a part of Live Nation, the world’s largest venue owner and operator.

 

 

“I am so excited to welcome St. Pete into the RockHouse Live family,” says Bair.  “For the last year I have had so many people come to me and ask if we were going to put a location there, and I am very happy to finally say that we are!  Downtown St. Pete is an amazing, vibrant hub, and we are looking forward to bringing our delicious food, our music, and our vibe to this eclectic and fast-growing area, and becoming an integral part of the community.”