Sly McFly’s
700-A Cannery Row, Monterey | (831) 649-8050, slymcflys.us
Like the aroma of a hot pizza pie, fresh out of the oven, wafting into the evening air, a steady flow of classic jams—Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Woman” and Stevie Wonder’s “She’s A Bad Mama Jama”—echoes throughout Cannery Row, which keeps Sly’s modestly sized dance floor lively nearly every night of the year. And it’s been doing so for almost four decades without very many nights off. From Soul City—with longtime local dynamo Lisa Taylor on vocals—unleashing an assortment of timeless soul and R&B favorites, to one of Monterey’s all-time busiest rock groups, The Money Band, Sly’s stage hosts blues, rock, funk and anything else that’s top-notch and, most importantly, easy to groove to. Amazingly, it’s still one of the only free local music venues around.