TAMPA, Fla. (WFTS) — The music scene in Ybor City is shifting. A new 4,000-person capacity Live Nation venue is announced for the Gas Worx development, while long-standing independent venue Crowbar prepares to close its doors.
Damian Presiga, Senior Vice President of Development at Kettler, announced the Live Nation project just days ago. It aims to bring more national touring artists to the Tampa area.
WATCH: Ybor City music scene shifts as Live Nation moves in and independent venue Crowbar announces closure
"The venue fills a critical gap between clubs and arenas, and we feel we can get a great national talent that can add Tampa to the typical tour stops," Presiga said.
The new venue is co-designed by Blueprint Studios, Live Nation's in-house design team, and TBS Architecture and Interior Designs. Presiga noted the design will integrate into the established art, music, and cultural scene that has defined the area for the past 140 years.
Meanwhile, Crowbar owner Tom DeGeorge announced his independent venue will close on July 31 after 20 years in operation. He cited rising city costs, inflation, and an inability to purchase the building as primary factors, but he also pointed to the arrival of corporate developers as a major threat to the local ecosystem.
"I'm closing Crowbar at the end of July, on the 20th anniversary, because Ybor City is developing, which means everything gets more expensive," DeGeorge said.
DeGeorge, who has worked in the music industry for 32 years, is deeply frustrated by Live Nation's move into the neighborhood. Just walking distance from Seventh Avenue.
"I think it was more a slap in the face and a punch in the gut and a kick in the teeth," DeGeorge said.
DeGeorge warns that corporate venues keep profits internal, offering their own food and services, which eventually drives up rent for surrounding small businesses. He said independent venues like Crowbar are vital because they support the surrounding ecosystem, sending customers to neighboring restaurants, tattoo parlors, and local shops.
"Bringing in something like a Live Nation to Ybor City, it would be the equivalent of bringing in a super Walmart to a poor neighborhood that was looking for a grocer and begging for it for years," DeGeorge said.
DeGeorge's concerns about the local ecosystem are reflected in the 2025 National Independent Venue Association State of Live Report for Florida. According to the report, fans attending independent shows in Florida generated $567.3 million in off-site spending at local restaurants, shops, and hotels in 2024.
The report also highlights the sector's broader economic footprint. It found that independent live entertainment in Florida drives $7.8 billion in total economic output and supports more than 52,000 jobs.
However, the NIVA report shows that independent venues are struggling to survive. Only 35% of independent stages in Florida were profitable in 2024. The report lists inflation, monopolies, and predatory resale platforms among the top operational challenges for independent venues.
2025 NIVA State of Live Report FL by Tampa Bay 28
Beyond the local economic impact, DeGeorge voiced serious concerns about Live Nation's influence over the broader music industry and its effect on independent operators.
"Live Nation and Ticketmaster as a monopoly have a real strangle hold on the industry, and they're squeezing out a lot of people," DeGeorge said.
DeGeorge says competing with a corporation of that size is impossible for independent venues.
"Live Nation is a very dangerous organization. If they weren't, you know, they wouldn't be in court right now with the Department of Justice, because they're a threat to the entire ecosystem," DeGeorge said.
DeGeorge also referenced a recent controversy involving Live Nation employees in Florida.
"I mean, we just came off of this story where their employees here in Florida were telling people, look at these suckers, what they're paying for the tickets," DeGeorge said. "I mean, they're not popular right now."
According to the Associated Press, government lawyers recently released internal Slack messages from a Live Nation employee discussing VIP prices at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa.
The AP reported that the employee mocked customers as "so stupid" and bragged that the company was "robbing them blind, baby." The messages were highlighted in a filing for the ongoing antitrust trial against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, according to the AP.
In a statement to the AP, Live Nation said the exchange was "off-the-cuff banter" that "absolutely doesn't reflect our values or how we operate."
DeGeorge is fearful for up-and-coming musicians. Legacy independent rooms are closing frequently, making it harder for artists to book tours and grow their fanbases.
"If you're a local artist, and your only chance to get on stage is to hopefully get a gig at a Live Nation show, opening for a band locally, it's going to be hard," DeGeorge said.
He described the current state of the music industry as an upside-down pyramid.
"There's a trough up here at the top, and the richest people are taking everything and eating everything, and at the bottom you have this diminishing thing. And what's going to happen is it's all going to come crumbling down if it stays this way," DeGeorge said.
While Crowbar is closing, DeGeorge plans to continue his advocacy work as the Southeast President for NIVA. The organization previously helped pass the Save Our Stages bill, which provided relief to thousands of independent venues, theaters, and museums.
Currently, he said, the organization is lobbying in Washington, D.C. against secondary and predatory ticketing practices that squeeze out customer bases.
When asked about those who argue Ybor City needs a 4,000-person venue, DeGeorge said a locally operated space would be a different conversation, but allowing a large corporation to control the market ruins it for everyone else.
"You can't let the vampire in the door," DeGeorge said.
DeGeorge urged the community to support local artists and independent spaces before they disappear entirely.
"Gotta support local. We have to make sure our elected officials understand what's happening. We have to be loud," DeGeorge said.
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