JD's Back Porch Went Quiet. Where Does Indian Rocks Beach's Live Music Play This Fall?

For decades the building at 125 Gulf Blvd. was easy to spot because of the giant colorful octopus on its roof. For the past few years the outdoor bar underneath, JD's Back Porch, had live music every day, and the patio piano bar went back further than that. On Sept. 7, Monstah Lobstah IRB closed so the building could come down.

That closing took one daily music stop off Gulf Boulevard and left the rest concentrated in two places. One stage a few addresses up the road, run by the same family that owns the JD's site, has a set on the calendar nearly every night. One bar near the south end of town covers three nights a week.

What Is Planned for 125 Gulf Blvd.

The building belongs to the Loder family, who operate as Crabby Bill's Family Brands. They bought JD's for $3.2 million in February 2022 and reopened the inside as Monstah Lobstah, a New England-style seafood house built around Maine lobster. The outdoor bar kept the JD's name. In a Facebook post reported by the Tampa Bay Times, the family said the building was badly damaged in the 2024 hurricane season and that more repairs were no longer a fix.

The plan is a multi-level restaurant. The top floor would become JD's Rooftop Bar, and the Back Porch's live music, dancing and piano nights would move up there. The new building is slated to have new staircases and an elevator. The rooftop would display historic photos and salvaged pieces of the original JD's, with views of the Gulf and the Intracoastal Waterway.

"JD's Rooftop will give us a chance to celebrate the past while continuing to create new memories for years to come. This is not goodbye to the history of this property. This is the next chapter."

That's from the family's post, as reported by Tampa Bay Beacons on Sept. 15.

No reopening date has been announced. St. Pete Rising reported that permits and approvals were still needed and that the owners could not yet say how long the rebuild would take. The city's planning, zoning and permitting department requires land-development review for new construction, including building and site plans, before anything goes to the county for permits. In other words, the rooftop is a plan, and the music won't be at 125 Gulf Blvd. this fall.

The Loading Dock Now Holds the Weeknights

The same family also owns The Original Crabby Bill's at 401 Gulf Blvd. Its outdoor stage, the Loading Dock, is now the busiest live-music spot in town. The Crabby Bill's events calendar for the week of Oct. 20 lists a different act every night.

Here's how that week runs:

• Weeknights, 6 to 10 p.m. Alex Whalen on Tuesday, Oct. 20. Matt Knabe Band on Wednesday. Danto on Thursday. Jeff Gurney on Friday, Oct. 23. McLean Mannix on Monday, Oct. 26.
• Saturday, Oct. 24, two sets. Casey Allen from 1 to 5 p.m., then FLO RAW from 7 to 11 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 25, two sets. Taylor Jansen from 1 to 5 p.m. and Mark Marra from 6 to 10 p.m.

So the weeknight evening set and the weekend afternoon set both happen at the Loading Dock now. The calendar is posted by date with performer names, so check it before you head out rather than counting on a particular act.

The South End Keeps Three Nights

At the other end of the business strip, Coco's Crush Bar and Grill IRB at 2405 Gulf Blvd. advertises live music on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights. Its kitchen opens at 9 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and at 11 a.m. on weekdays. It closes at 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 10 p.m. the rest of the week.

For residents south of the Nature Preserve, Coco's is the closer stage on those three nights. On Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, both ends of town have music at the same time. The rest of the week, the Loading Dock has the only regular schedule.

Mapping the Week

Where the Gift Cards Go

If you still have a Monstah Lobstah gift card or bonus voucher, the owners said those will be honored at their sister restaurants during construction, including Guilty Sea and Jake's Coastal Cantina. The owners also said employees will be offered work at sister restaurants during construction.

Both are close by. Guilty Sea Sports Pub is at 301 Gulf Blvd., and Jake's Coastal Cantina is at 500 1st Street North. The Guilty Sea calendar lists trivia every Wednesday. Between the Loading Dock, Guilty Sea and Jake's, you can spend a gift card and catch a set on the same stretch of road in one evening.

For a seafood dinner before or after a set, Keegan's Seafood Grille at 1519 Gulf Blvd. lists hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.

The Fall Dates That Take Music and Crowds Outdoors

The weekly schedule above covers regular nights. From now through December, these one-off dates draw a crowd:

1. IRB Hallowfest, Saturday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Kolb Park, 1508 Bay Palm Blvd. It's a morning event, so the afternoon set on the Loading Dock is still open that day. City event page
2. Beach Waves Grill's 6th Annual Beach Bash, Saturday, Nov. 7, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 2300 Gulf Blvd., with live music, seafood, and food and drink specials. It's down the road from Coco's, which makes Nov. 7 the busiest music day of the fall at the south end. Event listing
3. Christmas Tree Lighting, Friday, Dec. 4, 7 p.m. at 12th Avenue Park, 47 12th Avenue North. City event page
4. Christmas Street Parade, Sunday, Dec. 6, 1 to 4 p.m., citywide. City event page
5. Christmas Boat Parade, Saturday, Dec. 19, 7 p.m., on the Intracoastal. City event page

The city's pages for the street and boat parades still show details from earlier years. Use them for this year's dates and times, and watch for the city to post routes and staging closer to December.

All this happens in a town that Creative Loafing readers named Best Beach Town in 2026, ahead of finalists Gulfport and St. Pete Beach. For the rest of the year, though, the music runs on a simple schedule. The Loading Dock at 401 Gulf Blvd. covers the most nights. Coco's at 2405 Gulf Blvd. covers Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. And Nov. 7 at 2300 Gulf Blvd. is the date to put on the calendar now.

Have a favorite on the Loading Dock lineup, or questions about what the JD's rebuild could mean for that stretch of Gulf Boulevard? I follow what changes along the beach towns from here to St. Pete, and I'm glad to talk it through anytime. Christina Colon is always happy to hear from neighbors. Let's Connect.