In an era where mom-and-pop stores are failing in general, and music stores in particular, the Amp Shop & Music Parlor (ampshopmusic.com) in West Palm Beach defies double the odds.

Walk into the small, L-shaped store and you’ll see equipment waiting to be picked up or worked on, CDs by local artists, used instruments for sale, repair areas and teaching rooms.

Set in the side of a strip mall, the Amp Shop also succeeds despite being harder to find than the long-standing landmark, Vince’s Deli & Sub Shop, that sits in front of it.

But if you’re there, especially Saturdays between noon and 4 p.m., you’re likely to recognize at least one area musician buying or getting something repaired by proprietor Bari Litschauer.

“I was an engineer for Florida Power & Light until 1994,” she says. “Then I started repairing amplifiers in a shop called The Guitar Medic in Lake Park before opening this store in 1997. We do repairs; design our own microphone and instrument cables, and we’re a musicians’ consignment store. That’s our niche. We’re not into having 100 of the same thing on a wall in different colors.”

Aiding Litschauer are guitar technician Tom Grose, amplifier and sound equipment repairman Bill Potter and assistant Shaun Floyd. Litschauer also plays banjo and mandolin and sings in the roots music band Roadside Revue with vocalist, guitarist, mandolinist and husband Ron Litschauer. He’s an engineer as well, recording the group’s CDs at the couple’s home studio.
Specializing in festivals, Roadside Revue’s next public appearance is on Jan. 17 at the all-day, multi-band South Florida Folk Round Up, at the Round Up Country Nightclub, 9020 W. State Road 84, Davie (954) 423-1990.

The Amp Shop is at 776 S. Congress Ave., West Palm Beach (561) 471-9441. Hours are noon-7 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; noon-5 p.m. Friday and noon-4 p.m. Saturday.

’Round Town

The Nov. 20 lineup of Lake Worth pop singer/songwriter John Ralston, Fort Lauderdale group Sweet Bronco and Atlanta band Beards of Comedy continues the ever-creative groupings tonight at 9 p.m. at Propaganda (propagandalw.com), 6 S. J St., Lake Worth (561-547-7273). …

the Mario LaCasse Band (mariolacasseband.com) makes a regular stop at 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 21 at the Orange Door, 798 10th St. in Lake Park (561-842-7949), and starts a new house gig on Nov. 23. The renowned local guitarist’s band appears with the Evolution Horns (formerly of Hot Brass Monkey) at 7:30 p.m. every Monday at the new CityPlace location of B.B. King’s, 550 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach (561-420-8600). LaCasse’s drummer, George Lilly, also appears at 7:30 p.m. on Sundays with the horn section under the name Brass Evolution. …

Chef John’s American Bistro & Blues Bar has a 9 p.m. blues/rock open mike on Wednesdays, hosted by longtime South Florida vocalist/guitarist Charlie Eginton, plus a creative Tuesday audition night for blues acts. Groups can get a free meal, and a possible Saturday gig, by scheduling and passing an audition at Chef John’s, 287 E. Indiantown Road, Jupiter (561-745-8040).