For two decades the musical duo Halcyon has toured the world, bringing their original music to venues as far away as Alaska and Europe. But now, Deb Hunseder and Stephanie Callahan will stay local—and in their very own establishment.
The out and proud women are set to open PLAY, a new music venue in the heart of Ybor City. The club at 1701 E. 8th Ave., is in the home of the former LGBT country bar Spurs, and while it’s gay-owned, it’s not necessarily a gay bar.
“We’re not really putting the label of ‘gay bar’ on this,” Hunseder said. “We’re musicians first and foremost. The main thing for us is to make sure that this is a music venue for everybody who loves music.”
While Hunseder acknowledges Halcyon’s large lesbian and gay following, the main purpose of PLAY is to give music lovers a chance to hear music they would otherwise miss.
“I said to somebody to think of us as a human mix tape,” she said.
The venue will host a variety of acts and Halcyon will perform there occasionally, but the duo will not be a “house band,” she said.
“We’ve always dreamed of opening a music venue of our very own right here at home,” Hunseder said. “The intention is to share the many talented people we’ve encountered along the way with the Bay area community.”
PLAY will officially open on Saturday, May 1, at 4 p.m. and Halcyon will perform throughout the day.
The bar has both an indoor and outdoors stage and professional sound and lighting has been added to both. Rising stars and seasoned veterans will perform at the new venue and amateurs can participate on karaoke night.
Food will be available on the patio and the women’s tastes will be reflected throughout the establishment.
“To put a fun twist on an old bar tradition, during 2-4-1 happy hour we’ll use custom guitar picks as tokens for free drinks,” Hunseder said. “Inside the main bar we’ll have a cozy backroom lounge with cocktails, excellent affordable wines by the glass and bottles along with domestic, imported and craft-brewed beers.”
Frozen drinks will also become a staple at the patio tiki bar.
Upcoming performances include Atlanta’s finger-style guitarist Shaun Hopper, former Tampa bassist virtuoso Andy Irvine, star of the Broadway hit show about Janis Joplin, Love, Janis, Chicago rocker Cathy Richardson, Minneapolis band Black Blondie, and in demand New Orleans’ DJ Beverly Skillz. Locals include Mighty Mongo, Tenth Concession and country singer Glen Cummings.
Halcyon is off the road “indefinitely,” according to Hunseder, but that doesn’t mean the pair won’t perform locally at some other venues.
“Right now we’re focused as owners/operators of PLAY,” she said. “But never say never. We don’t know what the future holds.”
PLAY will be open Wednesdays through Sundays at 4 p.m. For more information, visit PlayYbor.com or call 813-443-0754.
