Why The 44 is a hotspot for loud, live music on the west side of Phoenix

There's a long-running discussion among Valley musicians that goes a little something like this: “Why isn’t there a better venue on the west side of town? Someone could make a killing if they did it right.”

Over the years, there have a been a number of venues that have tried and been successful, at least for a while. But for too long, if you wanted to see live, original music in the Valley, you were probably going to venture to central Phoenix or parts farther east.

One venue, though, is quietly building its reputation as the west Valley spot for the loudest live music in town.

The 44 Sports Grill & Nightlife is a large, 350-person venue located at 4494 W. Peoria Ave., Glendale. With an open floor plan in the main room, it’s quite easy to see and hear your favorite bands perform.

Owned by Nancy and Robert Rosa since 2019, The 44 has undergone quite a transformation since the couple took over. One might even consider the cult-classic Patrick Swayze film "Road House" as an example.

When the Rosas took over, the venue "was in bad shape and we didn't realize how bad of shape it was in because it was always very dark,” Nancy Rosa says. “We kind of walked into a shithole. Once we got lights in here — none of the light bulbs were even screwed in — and turned lights on, we realized, oh, we've bit off a big piece of garbage.”

She continues, "But I liked the size because I thought, ‘If I'm gonna do this, I want to do something big.’ I wanted to be able to have pool tournaments in here and I want to be able to have live bands. I wanted to do all that stuff.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, it allowed the Rosas to hit the reset button and start over. The couple did an almost complete revamp of the club’s staff (see: "Road House") and invested a considerable sum of money into turning the club, formerly known as Mark’s Bar and Grill, into The 44.

The 44 serves food, but that was yet another hurdle for the new owners to overcome. The health department visited just three days after they took over; $90,000 later, the kitchen was up to code and patrons could begin enjoying bar fare such as loaded nachos, chicken wings and burgers.

Even though the start was rocky, Rosa is quite proud of the food.

“Everything we do is from scratch with the exception of the mozzarella sticks," she says. "We use real recipes. We have $9 lunch specials every day and we just added Friday fish days. If you want to add a beer to the lunch special, it’s $12."

The kitchen is open until 9 p.m. on weeknights and midnight on the weekends, but Rosa was quick to add that when there's live music, the kitchen stays open until the show is over.

Live music is a huge priority for Rosa, who was born in Arizona and grew up in a very conservative family.

“I grew up only being allowed to listen to Christian music, so when I first started hearing regular music, I just loved it. I’ve always wanted to be around live music, but I wasn’t allowed to go to concerts until I was almost 21,” she says.
One of the most impressive things about The 44 is the stage and sound system. The Rosas, along with their friend TJ Boone, have made an enormous investment in both time and resources to create one of the premier music clubs in the Valley. Boone, who does construction and handyman work by day, oversaw the building of The 44’s stage and handles local booking as well.

“I’ve managed to stay through all the ups and downs. When we built the stage, I was here for more than 24 hours,” Boone says.

Between Boone, who has a long history of working with and supporting a variety of local bands, and Rosa’s efforts, The 44 is building a solid reputation for itself as a venue not only for bigger local bands to play at, but national acts as well.

“It’s going to take a little time, but just based on some of the acts we’re getting, we are starting to make some waves,” says Rosa.

On St. Patrick's Day, The 44 hosted Green Jelly (a.k.a. Green Jello) of  “3 Little Pigs" fame. This Friday, New Jersey’s Trixter will come through on their acoustic tour, before Max and Igor Cavalera’s Go Ahead and Die band will headline a huge punk/thrash/metal show the following night.

A look at The 44’s concert calendar shows an impressive lineup of local and national hard rock, punk and metal acts including The Dead Boys, Otep, Sponge and more.

What's most refreshing, though, when talking to Boone and Rosa is their enthusiasm for building and supporting a music scene in the West Valley.

“I still put money into this place on a regular basis, but here’s what I know: I can’t compete as a local dive or neighborhood bar because there are so many of them and they’re a third of the size of (The 44). In order for us to stay here and make it, we have to do big things. You know: ‘Go big or go home.’ We want to build a legacy for our kids,” Rosa says.

That means making The 44 a West Valley destination not just for live music, but all sorts of activities. There are weekly events offering a wide range of options for people to enjoy including poker and pool tournaments, senior meeups, open mics, country dance lessons, dart leagues, comedy and karaoke.

“I want a place where everyone feels comfortable and safe and welcome,” Rosa says.