The Short List: Best house music venues

Welcome to The Short List. Each week we'll pick a topic and share our favorite - or, in some cases, maybe our least favorite - things about the Bay area.

This week, we're cranking the speakers to 11 as we get worked into a sweaty, neon frenzy. Here are our top five places to bring down the house with house music.

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Walking up to Jackson's nightclub you feel the music before you hear it.

The vibrations from the speakers hit your chest, and the boom, boom of the bass tempts your feet to move to the beat.

What is this thing that leaves people dancing, laughing and partying till dawn?

House music.

It's making a comeback, and it seems Tampa is riding the rave.

"Everything from world beats to pop to hip-hop to funk to rock - every single sound has been applied to house music," said DJ Predro M, who sets up shop at Jackson's on Harbour Island, just south of downtown. "From a djembe African drum all the way to a Cuban conga - even polka."

With such an intriguing description, it's a wonder why house music went into hiding for the past 10 years.

Electronic music started in Chicago in the 1980s, and with help from the gay community, it became a global phenomenon because of its ability to transcend gender, sexuality and race.

House music fell out of favor in the '90s with the rise of hip-hop and pop. Also, with drugs seemingly being used to enhance the music's effects, many communities enacted anti-rave laws.

In the 21st century, social networks and a global society are bringing the barrier-breaking beats back into the mainstream.

"(In) 2011, house-music people are not the weird people. ... Now it's socially acceptable. Now it's more understood by the common ear," says Pedro M.

For clubgoers, the synthesized sounds create a unifying effect.

"It's understood that you all just want to have a good time," says Tampa clubgoer Sarah Anderson, 24. "There's an energy in a crowd listening to house that is irresistible ... everyone just grooving and flowing together in unity."

Jackson's terrace is a premier spot for techno tunes, hosting acts such as Laidback Luke, Umek, David Tort, Oscar G, and Wally Lopez.

And The Amphitheatre, once Tampa's epicenter for the popular sound, is again drawing house heads who want their fix of funk.

Last month, more than a thousand fist-pumping, sweaty partygoers were worked into a neon frenzy when Dutch electronic music producer and techno-house DJ Afrojack hit the house.

"I've done hip-hop shows, pop shows, track acts, numerous shows; this is by far the easiest well-maintained crowd. ... They're all (here) for the love of the music," says John Santoro, owner of Amphitheatre and Sunset Events.

Want to bring down the house with house music? Here are the top five places to be:

Jackson's Bistro, 601 S. Harbour Island Blvd., Tampa. This outdoor venue is the pinnacle of Tampa's house scene, with the Terrace offering an upscale Miami-style clubbing experience, complete with docked yachts and a view of Tampa's skyline. The club also offers stiltwalkers, go-go dancers, a giant hamster ball, and other oddities that heighten the club experience.

The Amphitheatre, 1609 E. Seventh Ave., Tampa. This club was built for house music with every speaker, bass and screen designed around the music's unique sounds. Its revolving dance floor adds to the experience.

Hyde Park Café, 1806 W. Platt St., Tampa. "Snatch Friday" is a house music night that has been dropping beats in Tampa for the past 10 years. Resident DJs Three and Brian Busto spin mixes of electro-house and trance music off HPC's side room. This is the place for the dirtiest of house beats in the Bay area.

Aja Channelside, 290 S. Meridian Ave., Tampa. This chic nightclub has added "Houseland Fridays" to its calendar of weekly events. A guest DJ spins downstairs amid cocktail waitresses and VIP couches. The beautiful dance floor can get rather cramped, so stake out you place quickly.

The Honey Pot, 1507 E. Seventh Ave., Tampa. A club that caters to the Gaybor district most nights, this club knows how to throw a party. Light shows, live sets and go-go dancers bring this club alive. The intimate setting and high-quality sound system make going there a feast for all senses.

Yeah, we know. You think we're clueless because we didn't include your favorite place on our list, right? Tell us about it at TBO.com, search: Short List.