Located at the north end of O.B., Mother's has had to compete with music venues in the center of town.

Mother’s Saloon, one of a handful of venues in Ocean Beach that hosts live music, recently canceled all their upcoming shows. The venue had primarily been having live bands on the weekends, but the bar decided to go a different route: they removed the stage and brought in the TVs.

“We’re gearing towards more of a sports bar, and it’s definitely working for us,” said Mother’s manager Alicia Falter. According to Falter, the bar has installed about 15 flat screens. They will be pumping out NFL games on Sundays and college football games on Saturdays.

Mother’s is located on the corner of Bacon and Lotus streets in the northwestern section of Ocean Beach. It took over the building that was formerly occupied by Dream Street Live, which threw in the towel around 2011. The bar had a decent sound and stage, but it’s undeniable that it had a difficult time drawing crowds. They may have been a tad too far off the beaten path as, a short distance to the south, Winstons has always done steady business with their shows.

Meanwhile, the Harp and the Holding Company are also showcasing live bands on Newport Avenue. Mother’s was likely competing against even more live-music options than Dreamstreet.

But even though the TVs have arrived and the stage is gone, live music isn’t banned from Mother’s. The bar recently had a band play for their sixth-anniversary party, and they are working on ideas for a new type of stage — likely a more temporary fixture. One idea, according to Falter, is “a fold-out one.” And even though the bar has switched its focus, she said they’re “not opposed to having live music at all.”

Even with the NFL down in ratings, it’s still more of a draw than live bands on a weekend.

“We’ve had a great response from our regulars about the direction we’ve taken for the NFL. We are open to change,” Falter said.