Downtown Tampa - A-Live after Five???

So there is all the advertising and marketing over the past several weeks and the bombardment of email from the Downtown Tampa Partnership, etc., and we headed to see what the "Live after Five" in downtown Tampa was all about. St. Pete does an amazing job with "First Friday", but how disappointing it was to get there around 6pm, and only see about two dozen people hanging out listening to a decent band on a 1 block section of Franklin Street downtown. We decided to have some stiff cocktails and see if maybe people would show up later, and The Hub was right up the street. Around 7pm, went back to the event, and now there were about three dozen people...not a good thing, I believe that people who work downtown just wanted to get the heck out of there after work and head home.
Anyways, we wanted some eats, and a band I knew of was playing downtown this evening. We met a bunch of friends at Gilligan's over on Morgan St near Jackson St. Very casual place, lots of tables and bar space, and outdoor deck overlooking the Forum. Besides us, there were maybe a dozen of so people in the place. The walls are painted with the characters from Gilligan's Island, there is a pool table in the back. The bartender/server was as kind as could be(thanks Cam), she made sure we were attended to in the back room while we were playing pool having some drinks. The food was very good, and typical bar food(sandwich's, burgers, appetizers)..the Cuban was huge and stuffed with meat, everyone else said their sandwich's were very good(burger, chicken Cesar wrap, chicken sandwich) which all come with a bag of chips, and the price is right at around 5-7 bucks.
After eats, we headed next door to Kelly's Pub to see the band 3 Green Windows. A very long time ago, in the college days, the singer and bassist are from a band called Tragic Rabbit, and we would follow them everywhere in Tampa they played, I was happy to hear that after all this time(since the early 90's) they were back as a new band, and upon walking into Kelly's they were still playing there Tragic Rabbit tunes("Black Velvet Elvis")...and I was amazed that Bo(the singer), and his wife recognized me from all that time......they do covers of many old rock favorites, and really keep the crowd entertained. Bo has probably on of the most amazing voices of any singer of seen live in Tampa. Through the night they played there own original music, Tragic Rabbit tunes(nice for Bo to dedicate one of them to me), and some favorite rock tunes, jamming to the best of them. Kelly's is a great small place, quite a few beers on tap and bottled(over three dozen)..and wine. I'm looking forward to seeing 3 Green Windows again at the end of December when they play at Dave's Aqua Lounge in St. Pete.
They ended around midnight, and one of our friends, Whitney, aka Karen, was meeting her friend at a huge alternative club called Chambers also downtown. This club is very interesting, mostly all gay, and young, the downtstairs as a large catwalk for dancers, and dance floor, pool tables, then upstairs is a huge ballroom like dance hall...they do country music line dancing till about midnight, then they bust out the dance tunes..I have to say, the club is actually very large with two separate floors, and packed them in with mostly guys...a drag show took place around 130am, very entertaining...LOL.
Lots going on this weekend, the Intl Auto Show is in town, RibFest in St. Pete, and the weather wont stop...beautiful, sunny, deep blue skies, temps in the 70's...ahhhhhh!