An octagon-shaped stage is set up with lights, speakers, microphones and instruments prior to Halloween night concerts at The Green Spot, one of two new concert venues in downtown Coos Bay. World Photo by Lou Sennick

COOS BAY — His goal is to bring in big name bands to The Green Spot in Coos Bay, but still offer an opportunity for up and coming local bands.

Even more, John Ambrosini wants the downtown and entire Bay Area to become a destination spot for music lovers and concert-goers.

“It’s getting people to come to town,” said Ambrosini, who, along with his wife, Sandy, owns the entertainment venue inside the old J.C. Penney building, formally known as Sober’s.

With at least a dozen other musical entertainment choices in town, Ambrosini envisions a whole music scene.

“They can come to concerts as a sideshow and go to every other place in town,” he said.

Last week, Ambrosini was working to get a gymnasium-sized entertainment room ready for a concert. Band members of the local hard rock group Lullaby, which was playing later that evening with One Dying Breath and Havoc-Malic, were setting up their instruments.

Starting this month, Ambrosini is planning to bring in nationally known groups that create sounds similar to the Outlaws, Marshall Tucker and Steve Miller.

“What I want to try to do is get a different sound of music,” Ambrosini said. “I’d like to pick it up a notch. We’re going to have to get medium bills in here now.”

The 53-year-old former laborer pointed to a poster advertising a San Francisco band, Melvin Seals & JGB, Keepers of the Flame, which began as a side project for Jerry Garcia. The band, originally called the Jerry Garcia Band, is performing at The Green Spot on Thursday, Nov. 13. (see Scene&Heard) Moonalice, featuring Hall & Oates guitarist G.E. Smith, who played with the Saturday Night Live band for 10 years, and Phil Lesh and Friends guitarist Barry Sless, will perform on Dec. 5. Then, New Riders of the Purple Sage, featuring original members David Nelson and Buddy Cage, will appear for a one-night gig on Dec. 6.

“That’s what we’re trying to do — get this whole Winterland thing going,” said Ambrosini. “I used to go to Winterland and the Fillmore. I saw Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead at Speedway Meadows (San Francisco).”

The Green Spot is keeping with the drug and alcohol free policy that Sober’s had. But, while Sober’s was a teen center, Ambrosini said he hopes that by offering bands that play more bluesy, jazzy, older rock ’n’ roll and ’80s rock, with a local band opening for them, he will attract all age groups.

“We still want to give back to the kids,” Ambrosini said. “This kind of thing would give them a mellower atmosphere. If we can have one of the local bands play before a (headliner) band, we feel it will give them good exposure.”

Steve Pilant, manager of The Green Spot, said he’s lining up bands that rarely or never have appeared on the coast.

“I’m getting people that would normally pass up the coast between California and Portland,” he said.

In the future, he would like to add comedy and open mic nights.

“We’re trying to do a jam scene,” Pilant said.

He’s been to places in San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Lake Tahoe and Eugene that have busy downtown areas offering things to do.

“People walking around and always doing things,” Pilant said. “That’s what I’d like to see here.”

He said he doesn’t think competition with other venues will be a problem.

“I think there’s enough interest to go around,” he said.

Ambrosini agreed.

“If we can help out in this community, there should be a lot of other people in the community that can, too,” Ambrosini said.

“The more venues like these in Oregon, the more bands will want to come to Oregon.”