Belly Up Tavern
50 years of legends in a WWII quonset hut, one block from the beach
Upcoming Live Music (32)
About Belly Up Tavern
On September 28, 1974 — founder Dave Hodges' birthday — the Belly Up opened inside a pair of WWII-era quonset huts on Cedros Avenue that had previously housed a waterbed showroom. There were a couple of microphones and no stage. Fifty years later, it's routinely named among the best live music venues in America.
The early legacy reads like a hall of fame: John Lee Hooker, Etta James, B.B. King, Curtis Mayfield, George Clinton, the Neville Brothers, Toots and the Maytals. On the way up, No Doubt, the Black Eyed Peas, Mumford & Sons, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers all crossed its stage — and established giants keep coming back for intimate underplays: The Killers, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffett, Tom Jones. Most famously, the Rolling Stones played a private show here in 2015.
The room holds 600, a giant shark hangs from the rafters, and the beach is a two-minute walk. It is exactly as good as everyone says.
The Scene
Only Here
- The building is a pair of converted WWII quonset huts — a waterbed factory and showroom in a past life
- Opened September 28, 1974 — founder Dave Hodges' birthday
- The Rolling Stones played a private event on this 600-cap stage in 2015
- Look up: there's a full-size shark hanging from the rafters