Bigger and better, Deja Blue plans a larger schedule of events.

“We finally got it,” says Darryl Choates, the owner of Deja Blue, a blues, jazz and comedy club, a soul food restaurant and an event center—all in one. 

The venue first opened in 2020, just before the pandemic shutdown, and underwent an expansion in 2024 that doubled its size. Located at 500 Broadway Ave. in Seaside, Deja Blue is ready for the big opening night 5pm Friday, June 20. The launch is coming with live music, complimentary refreshments and a ribbon-cutting ceremony, with the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce present on site. 

The venue will continue to serve as a concert and comedy space, a soul food restaurant, now also serving Latino cooking, and a perfect space for weddings and other private events.

On July 12, the venue will host comedian Omar Gooding, and that’s just the beginning, Choates says.

“We are going larger,” he continues, having in mind bigger names in comedy and music so that people in the county will not have to go to San Jose or San Francisco to see what they want to see—lots of old school stuff (both in music and comedy) and regular jazz nights every week. 

Choates’ biggest pride at the moment is Deja Blue’s back patio that can fit a wedding party. The whole venue can hold as many as 660 people and is able to hold three different events at one time, along with catering and decoration operations and full sound system that requires musicians to bring nothing but their instruments.

“A one-stop shop,” says the owner. “I can do things that corporate America can't do.”

Visit dejabluelive.com.