Bound To Be Bold / Cover Story  0%

Chester Watson

Miami

Chester Watson released his first tape, Carnie, when he was 15, but he'd prefer not to talk about it. "I tried to erase it off the Internet," he laughs. The 19-year-old rapper from St. Petersburg has learned a lot since, specifically how to make music that's both thematically challenging and sonically approachable, a balance between home and club music, heard on recent projects, the Summer Mirage EP and the Past Cloaks cassette. He's currently based in Atlanta, but St. Petersburg remains home, despite its sleepy vibe. There are worthy things to see there, though, if you know where to look.

Chester Watson

Venue

Watson says that a lot of the cooler places to watch shows around Florida have closed down, but he still drops in at Jannus Live, an outdoor venue right in St. Pete. Jannus can hold about 2,000 people, has a decent sound system, and is definitely the coolest place to see live music in the area, according to Watson. "It's an upgrade from a bar venue," he says.

Chester Watson

Destination

Watson is too young for the bars—and even some of the venues he's played—in St. Pete, so instead, he and his friends go skating downtown. Their favorite spot is the Dalí Museum, which yes, houses an impressive collection of Salvador Dalí's art, but more importantly for Watson and his friends, it offers open space and stairs for skating outside.

Chester Watson

Dining Out

Watson is a creature of habit when it comes to food, and he can usually be found picking up something at either Burrito Boarder or, more likely, Moe's. "Moe's is like Chipotle, but it's better," he says. This assessment could be due to Watson's distaste for cilantro, often found in Chipotle's dishes, but it could also be because the chicken burrito at Moe's is just a superior offering.