ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Over the past 40 years, Tampa Bay concert promoter No Clubs Presents has put on more than 5,000 concerts, featuring some of the world’s most iconic bands, and now they are celebrating their 40th anniversary by sharing all that great history with music fans.
Hundreds of concert posters, from Nirvana to Pearl Jam to Red Hot Chili Peppers, line the walls of the new exhibit, Live Since 85, currently on display at The Factory. Every one of these shows was promoted by Dave Hundley and Tony Rifugiato, founders of No Clubs Presents.
“Meeting up with him, we were copacetic on our mindset, we literally have a world of knowledge on music of all varieties,” said Hundley, referring to his long-time friend and business partner.
There is one show that stands out among all the rest for Dave and Tony, and that’s Suicidal Tendencies back in 1985, because it was their first show.
“That one show the phones started ringing,” said Hundley.
The rest, as they say, is history.
“Bands typically had punk kids putting them on, well, we were already in our 30s, and we were not punk kids, we ended up giving them a professional show,” said Hundley.
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No Clubs had a knack for bringing up-and-coming bands to town right before they made it big.
“I was the guy pushing for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and we lost money; it didn’t have enough people to turn out, and look how big they are now,” said Hundley. “The Pearl Jam show ends up being world-renowned because that was the night Eddie Vedder did a back flip off the pole and got caught by everybody and he claims to this day it was the best show he ever did.”
Ron Miller and his band, Belching Penguin, were one of the many local groups who credit No Clubs for their rise to success.
“Looking at this wall and being around for so many of these shows, I never would have thought, I started when I was 15, 16 and I’m 57 and still doing it, involved with these guys, so I couldn’t be happier for them,” said Miller.
Dave and Tony say the best part about this exhibit is that it gives musicians and music fans a chance to take a trip down memory lane.
“When kids couldn’t get to shows, they would rent buses and they would drive kids from Sarasota to Tampa Bay so they could go see U2,” said exhibit curator Robert Williams, reminiscing about his time working with No Clubs.
Dave and Tony also went on to open Daddy Kool Records, where you’ll see them perusing the aisles like they are still teenagers. They say looking back at the past four decades, the mission has always remained the same.
“It was always about the music and the fans, and we were just a conduit for putting the two things together,” said Rifugiato.
Live Since 85 is open from now until Feb. 28 at The Factory.
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