PUBLISHED OCT. 13, 2016
On Florida’s West Coast,
Historic Bridge Street thrives
By ANDREA SHAY
ANDREA SHAY PHOTOS
“Anna Maria’s Hot Spot” is Historic Bridge Street on Bradenton Beach, the southernmost city of Anna Maria Island is where you can “Shop~Dine~Play from beach to bay.”
While the east coast of Florida prepared for the worst last weekend — many residents evacuated, and schools and destination spots closed due to hurricane Matthew — the west coast remained relatively safe and dry, experiencing only high winds and a little rain on Friday. Friday night, Anna Maria Island’s Historic Bridge Street in Bradenton was bustling with the sights, smells and sounds of busy restaurants, laid-back tiki bars and local live music.
Bridge Street remains steeped in the vibe of old Florida, and visitors won’t find a trace of big box retail or corporate-owned eateries. Instead, locally owned and operated boutiques and dining establishments line the streets of the historic district.
The Blue Marlin is known as a Bridge Street staple, and despite the weekend’s gusty winds, it attracted visitors throughout the evening.
The Blue Marlin on Historic Bridge Street is filled with diners.
The Blue Marlin’s outdoor stage featured The Manatee River Bluegrass Band. Since its inception, the band has changed lineups several times, but Friday night’s performance featured founding member John Moody on guitar and vocals as well as the rest of the band filling in the sound with slide guitar, mandolin, banjo and electric bass. Moody describes the band’s sound and style as “newgrass,” a play on the “bluegrass” genre indicating that the band incorporates modern music as well as traditional bluegrass.
The Manatee River Bluegrass band plays everything from traditional bluegrass to country to rock at venues on Bridge Street.
On Friday night, The Manatee River Bluegrass Band played a variety of songs and different styles including traditional bluegrass tunes like “Don’t Cry Blue,” along with classics like Johnny Cash’s “Big River,” Lefty Frizzell’s “Long Black Veil,” and Bill Monroe’s “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” The band also performed one of Moody’s original songs, “Rosewater Mountain,” which evokes the kind of traditional bluegrass music one might associate with the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? It features a quick tempo, alternating bass lines, vocal harmonies and speedy fingerpicking — and it makes people want to dance.
Around the corner, patrons relaxed alongside Sarasota Bay or inside at The Bridge Tender where local artist Greg Roche played modern hits for a relaxed crowd. Across the street, The Drift In and Island Time also had consistently steady business. At Island Time, the Dr. Dave Band drew in a lively crowd with Dr. Dave’s fast and impassioned fiddle playing, while down on Bradenton Beach Pier, visitors dined and shopped in spite of gray skies overhead.
The well-known Dr. Dave brings down the house at Island Time with his furious fiddle playing.
The Historic Bridge Street district is known as “Anna Maria’s Hot Spot,” offers residents and visitors a community that’s walkable and entertaining. Those who don’t feel like walking can ride the Island Trolley for free to one of the 80 stops along the seven-mile island. Fishing enthusiasts will be pleased to know that the Bradenton Beach Pier allows fishing without a license, and the water is home to many types of edible marine life including blue crabs, stone crabs, speckled trout, grouper, mangrove snapper and flounder.
Historic Bridge Street is known as “Anna Maria’s Hot Spot.” For more information, go to visitbridgestreet.com, the website lists current bands, dining options, a map of the area and current events happening on the “street.”
The Drift In Tiki Bar offers a relaxed, open-air atmosphere.
The Historic Bridge Street area offers residents and visitors a community that’s walkable and entertaining. Those who don’t want to walk can ride the Island Trolley for free to one of the 80 stops along the seven-mile island.
Will Corr plays the mandolin in The Manatee River Bluegrass Band. The band describes their sound as “newgrass” — a combination of bluegrass and modern.
