From rock to indie, hip-hop and reggae, the demolition of the live music venue, known by different names in different eras — Cow Haus, Beta Bar, Engine Room, and more recently, GVO (Good Vibes Only) and Sidebar — has many residents mourning its loss.
Here’s why: The venue has been razed and the 1.09-acre lot will be transformed into a five-story student housing development.
More: Four-tiered development set to transform Railroad Avenue amid student housing boom
The music house on Railroad Avenue near West Gaines Street was a fount of memories for those who traveled from near and far for the live music events, late nights out and good vibes the space offered.
Whether you were standing at the crowded bars waiting for another round of drinks or catching up with friends over the loud tunes that filled the garden area, the venue served as a place for many to gather.
“It was nice to be able to bring all kinds of shows like that to this town,” Brian Giblett, the former owner of Cow Haus and Beta Bar said in an email exchange with the Tallahassee Democrat. “It was a great room for shows and lots of bands played there before they got really big.”