Adam St. Simons of Jannus Live Plays Dreamweaver to Indie Artists

ST. PETERSBURG - "Rock 'n roll is my religion," says Adam St. Simons. "That's what I tell everybody."

St. Simons is marketing and production manager at Jannus Live, the outdoor music venue in the city's downtown.

At 26, he is a USF St. Petersburg graduate, after earning a pair of two-year degrees at St. Petersburg College.

St. Simons has worked his way up in the hospitality industry. He began bartending, which he did until about a year ago.

He was pouring and mixing drinks at Jannus Live, but was offered a manager's job, after organizing a free show for the venue.

"It was the first free concert that they did here, with local bands," he said. It also was a success. "About 1,200 or 1,300 came through the door that night."

He consider his new job a dream job, though there are drawbacks. They inclue encountering "rampant alcoholism" to proving credibility to the entertainment veterans.

"I'm really young in comparison to a lot of people that I work with in this industry," he explained. "My experience and education, hand in hand, have led the way for me to succeed."

Aside from the nationally recognized names that frequent the Jannus courtyard, Simons says he enjoys working with independent and local musicians more than anything. "From Day One I've preferred to work with local and regional artists or even just unsigned musicians," he confessed.

For those lucky enough to gain a career in the music industry, there is a down side that fans may never understand. "They tour around the country each and every day of their lives, so some of the appeal has worn off a little bit."

But, he said, "with local or unsigned acts, there's a whole lot more heart and whole lot more fun."

St. Simons pushes production with every show that comes through the door at Jannus Live, but he enjoys organizing concerts for locals, giving homegrown artists opportunity for growth and exposure.

His nearest and dearest current project is a local artist by the name of Geri X. A native to St. Pete, Geri X's folk rock tunes have gained serious recognition in the recent months. Her first album, entitled "Whiskey and Cigarettes," dropped Friday, May 6, 2011.

What's next for St. Simons, the music guru? 

He has been pondering the idea of attending grad school to further his education. "I've just been so occupied in this scene and it's just been non-stop," he said. "I've had to take my focus off of that goal and work with what's in front of me, first."