Happy 2022. Do you love live music? I believe that adding more music to your life makes you live more fully. Music has many benefits it can motivate, reduce anxiety and even reduce pain. If you have a smart phone or smart device, music is always in your pocket. You can wake up to music, drive to work with music, exercise to music and clean to music. Studies show there are many benefits to music, but there’s nothing better than actually seeing and listening to live music. Here, in Rocky Point we are lucky to have many opportunities to enjoy great live music every single weekend.
On any given weekend, you can find a variety of live music in Rocky Point.
Don’t know where to go? Here is my list of 7 great places to listen to live music featuring local bands. There are many more places to tap your foot and dance, and I hope there are even more in this new year, but here’s just a few of my favorites.
Leo’s Bar– Have you checked out Leo’s Bar yet? It’s a new cool chill place right up from the Malecon. Look it up on Google for directions. Leo’s features music most weekends on Friday and Saturday. Outdoor acoustic performances that make for an awesome Happy Hour under the trees.
Pitaya Bar– Love this place for happy hour. Outside seating facing the beach in the Mirador, Pitaya (nicknamed by my friends as Hemingway’s), usually has great bands during happy hour on Friday. Music, sandy beach and waves a wonderful way to put music and sunshine in your life.
Wrecked at the Reef – A Sandy Beach favorite. Put your toes in the sand and sit along the sea and enjoy live bands. Open for all ages until 8 pm. Check their Facebook page for live music schedule. Wrecked has two different stages, happy hour and evening bands. Hear great bands such as La Merca and Hilton’s on a regular basis, and special surprise guests. Dancing always encouraged.
Manny’s– Right on the beach, in the Mirador. Manny’s has live music every weekend. If you haven’t been to the new Manny’s, it’s worth your time to stop by, (Did you know they have a pool? Yes, you can swim and listen to music) this is not the Manny’s of the 90’s, it’s bigger and better, check out their Facebook page for upcoming events in 2022.
Jillz Joint Bar– On the road into the Mirador you will find outside seating and inside pool tables. Chill environment with good drinks, food and you guessed it great live music.
Margarita & Mermaids– At the end of the Malecon on the sea. Inside restaurant and bar with occasional special live bands. Check Facebook.
Boo Bar– Can’t miss the Boo Bar on the Malecon. Go upstairs for a view of the sea and a seat on the bar swings while you are listening to live tunes. Check their Facebook page for Live music events.
Tekila Bar- Downtown Malecon with a great upstairs and downstairs and live music. Check Facebook for events.
Banditos – Inside and outside stages, Banditos is a wonderful venue to catch live events. Banditos host Circus Mexicus, January Jam, Atomic Weekend and other big music weekends.
This month marks the 11th year of January Jan. What is January Jam? It’s a weekend of jamming to great live music. Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers started this tradition over a decade ago, and it has caught on like wildfire. Who doesn’t want to start the new year with live music…? This year it takes place on January 14, 15 and 16th (Martin Luther King weekend). The musical acts travel from location to location around town. You can catch the day acts at, Changos, Capones, Manny’s and all headliner evening acts at Banditos. At, the same time, on Saturday morning there will be the Mexican Moonshine Golf Classic. This is a Charity tournament played by musicians and those that pre-register. Check Las Palomas Links course for preregistration.
January Jam has an interesting beginning. Back in 2008 Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers decided to record a new album by the sea in Mexico. And not just any Mexico town, but Puerto Peñasco, and specifically in a home on the water with killer sunsets, I have personally witnessed the amazing views and sunsets from this house, in Cholla Bay. The view from that side of Cholla Bay, is teeming with inspiration.
And inspiration is what they found, for eight days the group rocked out and recorded an album. And on the ninth day they decided what better way than celebrate, than to play live at JJ’s Cantina for a select group of friends and loyal fans. If you want to step back to 2008, and check out the recording sessions by the sea, buy the Turbo Ocho album and on the flipside is a live video of that special recording session, happy hour footage and outtakes. Turbo Ocho’s special impromptu performance at JJ ‘s started the history and tradition of January Jam. Music what a fantastic way to start the new year out. Let’s hope Roger & the Peacemakers decide to record another album down here by the sea in January.
So, start your year out with music, when in town check out the suggested music venues and listen to some great live local bands. Some of my favorite local bands that are worth seeing, are No One Knows, Natalie & the Sweetalkers, La Merca, Summer, Stone, and Los Panchos.
And on special weekends, you never know who might be in town. playing live. The Billboard chart hitting band, Black Moods just had a whole weekend festival at Bandito’s, Atomic Weekend, hopefully that will become an annual event.
Let’s make 2022 a year of live music. More music Mexico!
