RUDY'S PUB, a popular downtown Lake Worth Beach music venue, is about to expand into an iconic space directly above it — the recently-vacated Bamboo Room.
Rudy’s at Bamboo, as the new venue will be called, is tentatively scheduled to open Feb. 14 at 25 S. J St. on the second floor of The Paradise Building. Rudy’s Pub has operated in a smaller space on the first floor since 2018.
The opening act will be the Cedric Talton Experience.
“We are bringing life back into the Bamboo Room. It’s tremendous,’’ said owner MaryBeth Sisoian. “It’s going to be a beautiful community place. I’m just very excited about it.’’
Three times the size of Rudy’s Pub, Rudy’s at Bamboo will offer more elbow room for Sisoian’s loyal following of music-loving patrons while continuing the legacy of The Bamboo Room, a destination for top blues acts like BB King, Albert Castiglia and Matt “Guitar” Murphy from 1999 to 2015.
Rudy’s Pub will continue to operate downstairs, catering to solo and duo acts, the Westminster Trio on Thursday nights, the weekend “Pickers in the Round” jam sessions (open to anyone with a guitar) and the addition of karaoke.
Rudy’s at Bamboo will feature the same popular music acts that have packed crowds at Rudy’s Pub and the back patio, such as Marshall Brothers, JP Soars and the Red Hots and Crazy Fingers. But plans are in the works to host national acts once or twice a month, similar to the caliber of musicians who played The Bamboo Room in that venue's heyday of 1999 to 2008.
“It’s such a classic venue. It's a beautiful place. Mary has such talent for live music that it’s a perfect venue for her. We are thrilled,’’ said Gary Goldring, who owns The Paradise Building.
Rudy’s at Bamboo will be more than just a music venue. It will be offered as a private event space for wedding receptions, birthday parties and class reunions and also as a private space for bands to rehearse.
“Book your special event at the Bamboo Room. I’ll go out of my way to make it special,’’ she said.
Rudy’s at Bamboo will have a kitchen with a pizza oven and expanded menu. Although it will serve beer and wine for now, like Rudy’s Pub downstairs, future plans call for a full bar with liquor.
For Sisoian, the expansion into the Bamboo Room is a major milestone in the history of Rudy’s Pub, which first opened in 2012 in a 500-square-foot space on North J Street. There was so little room inside that regulars affectionately nicknamed it “Rudy’s Stand Up” and “The Closet.’’
In 2018, Rudy’s moved to its current spot. Though it’s three times larger than the original space, patrons literally rub elbows going to and from the bar and restrooms when the place is packed, as it often is on weekends. Three support posts obstruct the view of the stage for some patrons.
When the previous Bamboo Room tenants moved out Jan. 20, after offering R&B music for the past five or so years (they left because their lease expired), Sisoian jumped at the opportunity to expand into a larger space.
Rudy’s at Bamboo is more than 3,000 square feet with no obstructions and a larger bar. In addition to more than 20 tables and chairs on the main floor, there will be benches with cushions along the east wall.
“It’s going to be a big nice room. It is going to be so pretty. Wait ‘till you see it. You’re going to love it,’’ she said.
Rudy’s at Bamboo T shirts and hoodies will be sold. A new sign is being installed behind the stage. And across the west wall, she said, will be a motto playing off the whimsical “No Grouchy People Allowed” motto at Rudy’s Pub.
“It’s going to say, ‘No grouchy people allowed here, either.’’’
© 2024 ByJoeCapozzi.com All rights reserved.
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About the author
Joe Capozzi is an award-winning reporter based in Lake Worth Beach. He spent more than 30 years writing for newspapers, mostly at The Palm Beach Post, where he wrote about the opioid scourge, invasive pythons, the birth of the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches and Palm Beach County government. For 15 years, he covered the Miami Marlins baseball team. Joe left The Post in December 2020. View all posts by Joe Capozzi.