JIM MILLER/VIEWThe Chris Tofield Band plays Jan. 5 at the Sand Dollar Blues Lounge, 3355 Spring Mountain Road. The lounge has live blues music daily.
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The scattered crowd began to pool at the center of the club, randomly swaying into one another on the dance floor; a few stragglers mellowed at the bar, content to play video poker and sip Fat Tire from frosted glasses as they watched the scene before them unfold. The electric guitar moaned as the band slipped into yet another blues number, a sequence that ended in an explosion of applause and shouted requests from the audience.
The Sand Dollar Blues Lounge, 3355 Spring Mountain Road, is perhaps best known for nightly live music, most of the blues variety, and a kicked back, fun vibe that seems to permeate everything from the stage to the bar stools.
"Some of the best musicians in town come here," patron Ryan Wolf said. "There's no other place like it in town. You can come here any night of the week and see a great band and relax with a drink."
According to manager Joey Jensen, the lounge's primary mission is to provide great entertainment and a stage for local musicians to have their music heard.
"We have always been very supportive of the local music scene," Jensen said. "After being in town for 17 years, I think that we have accomplished that."
Most of the bands that play the lounge have a blues or jazz background. A distinction that, according to Jensen, gives patrons an opportunity to enjoy a variety of musical talent.
"The genre is growing in popularity, but until now, there has been a specific crowd that gravitates toward this music, especially in a live entertainment setting," Jensen said. "And we are happy to see that the interest is shifting in our direction."
While the lounge is open to anyone age 21 and older, the crowd usually is a mixture of people in their 20s to 50s, many of who are regulars.
"We love our tourists, to be sure," Jensen said. "But the reason that we exist, the reason we do what we do is for our locals. We want to be that place where people can come and just forget about their problems and enjoy great music."
Show admission is $5 Thursday through Saturday and free the rest of the week.
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