…and the party never ends

May 9, 2011



Wendy, Natalia & Kathy

Jerrod Niemann



…and the party never ends

The main event of the Key West Songwriter’s Festival was held this year in a new location, the parking lot of the Conch Republic Seafood Company (Conch Farm), where a stage was erected and the lot cordoned off to allow a large crowd of concert goers to file in to watch the big concert featuring the Andy Velo Band, Jerrod Niemann and Robert Earl Keen Jr.

Jerrod Niemann



Unlike most of the performances at the fest, this event was a full blown concert with both Niemann and Keen bringing their full bands and putting on a full blown show. It drew a large and enthusiastic crowd who were dancing and singing along to the night of music. It was amazingly good and we had a fantastic time.

Michael & Kathy

Robert Earl Keen Jr. & Storme Warren

Nadene, Raul Malo & Dani

Robert Earl Keen is one of my favorite performers ever and to have the opportunity once again to see him perform on three consecutive evenings with very different types of performances was incredible. Kathy & I also had the opportunity to hang out with him a little this week as well and he is as nice as he is talented. I read once that he is the greatest American performer that no one has ever heard of and I’d have to agree. He has a large devoted cult following, yet has somehow never had a song make the top 40 chart.

Robert Earl Keen Jr.

Rene



The crowd at the Conch Farm didn’t seem to mind as he put on a really amazing show that had them in a frenzy- especially during a wickedly good performance of “Amarillo Highway”. Great stuff! Raul Malo watched the show from the VIP section stageside and even joined REK on stage for a song, which was really cool.

Rich Brotherton

Kathy, Raul Malo & Wendy

Alan & Misty

Though the festival continued for one more day, this show was the culmination for Kathy & I, we just skipped an entire day of great music the final day feeling both exhausted and believing that no matter how amazing it might have been it would have been tough to top the amazing show that Keen put on.

REK

Thanks so much to our friends Dani, Nadene & Charlie who produce the festival locally and to BMI and Better Angels and all the sponsors who make this incredible event possible. It just gets better and better each year. Truly one of the best events of the year!





As tough as it always is to get back to “normal” after the songwriter’s festival- we were right back at it this week. We checked out one of the opening week shows of the wonderful Key West Burlesque troupe’s new “Kung Fu” show. Kathy & I helped sponsor the show and went with our friends Nadene, Trevor and Gae. It was as fun and enjoyable as expected and we look forward to heading back for the closing night show next weekend.

Trevor, Nadene, Kathy, Frankie, Marky, Esme & Gae

Kenji

Jenny & Kathy

We also attended a bittersweet party this weekend a going away party for our friends Jenny and JM are moving away- heading to Louisville where they own a house. I have known Jenny most of the twenty years that I have been here- she is an amazing photographer and a good friend. We certainly wish them luck and hope to see them again soon. The party was fun, a lot of friends gathering to wish them well before they leave the island.

Honky Tonkin’

May 2, 2011





Jamey Johnson



Honky Tonkin’

For the past seven or eight years, the hottest ticket of the annual Key West Songwriter’s Festival has been the late night party hosted by Jamey Johnson at Irish Kevin’s bar. Ticket might be a misnomer as the show is free and open on a first come first served basis. The show features Johnson and most of the top draws of the festival in a free-for all style during which the performers take turns performing whatever the heck they feel like – all the while consuming as copious amounts of alcohol as the packed house.





This year featured the likes of Johnson, Dallas Davidson, Jerrod Niemann, Rhett Akins, Randy Houser and Lee Brice as well as just about any of their friends and fellow songwriters who happened to want to perform. The packed atmosphere, free flowing alcohol, rowdy crowd and performers and anything goes attitude provides the closest thing to a real life Honky Tonk as anything I have seen in Key West- with the possible exception of similar shows held at Cowboy Bill’s.







This show is the one that everyone wants to see though, as evidenced by the huge line of people that formed hours before the 10 PM scheduled start time. Once full, getting in was even more difficult and some people waited two and three hours just to get in. Thankfully Kathy & I could avoid that mess thanks to our press passes and got in fairly easily. Of course getting in was only part of the problem as once inside it was so crowded that moving anywhere in the place proved problematic. I was able to push my way up front to get a few shots- none of which come close to capturing the atmosphere of what it was actually like in the place.





Whether the performers or audience was having a better time was also difficult to determine, but it certainly was an experience. It made for a late night as well as they played well into the early morning hours, much to the delight of the assembled masses.







Morning arrived early the next day and we just so happened to have signed up for an early morning 5K at St. Mary’s church, so we dragged ourselves over to walk the 5k. Perhaps I should be exhausted and hung over for every 5K I do as I managed to finish in first place in the male walker division with my best time ever. Kathy came home 4th in the women’s category.



Caryl Parker

Wendy

Our next stop was at the Southernmost on the Beach for the afternoon pool party where Kathy & I were scheduled as official volunteers. It was another perfect Key West day- sunny and warm with a gentle breeze off the ocean that made just about a perfect setting for an afternoon of music.



Aaron Scherz & Greg Crowe



The line-up of songwriters performing poolside included Lisa Torres, Jon Roniger, Phoenix Mendoza, Dan Adams, Aaron Scherz, Greg Crowe, Jason Saenz, Caryl Parker, Jeff Cohen, Kate York and Tami Hinesh. It was an excellent line-up but one that passed by like a blur as we were still recovering from the previous night and the early morning race.

Lisa Torres

Talk Country To Em

May 1, 2011

Misty Loggins





Kristy Lee Cook

Talk Country To Em

Day three of this year’s Key West Songwriter’s Festival was yet another stellar one of incredible music and talent and us hopping about the island in a vain attempt to catch as many of the amazing shows at the many venues around the island.



Mike Willis



One of the strengths of the festival is the variety of types of venues that host performances. Each venue offers a unique opportunity to see totally different types of shows. From the laid back fun of the beach and pool shows, to the quiet acoustic theatre shows to the more raucous bar gigs to the full on concerts- there is something for everyone.



The first show I caught on day three was the poolside show at the Best Western Key Ambassador Hotel. Held during another perfect sunny Key West afternoon, this new venue offered me a chance to see one of my favorite young songwriters, Misty Loggins who was performing with the duo Love & Theft and Mike Willis.



Nancy & Bob

My friend and famed Nashville photographer Alan Mayor is a big fan of Misty and suggested that I check out the show, but having heard her perform the last couple of years, I was already a fan. As talented as she is beautiful and equally friendly, Misty was great. In fact they all were, and it was a fantastic afternoon show that seemed like a private performance for the lucky people gathered in and around the pool.

Misty Loggins

My next stop was another intimate show that was held in the garden at the Old Town Manor Hotel that is owned by my friends Runi & Walter. The show featured two incredible young women performers including former American Idol finalist Kristy Lee Cook and the amazing Lucie Silvas. The small garden was crowded with fans who were treated to a wonderful show that was part of another new addition to the Festival, the Garden Series.



Walter & Lucie Silvas

Lucie Silvas

Kristy Lee Cook

Next it was on to Sloppy Joe’s bar to start the evening off. This show featured Al Anderson, Marshall Chapman, John Pardi and Bobby Pinson early- before giving way to a solo performance by the legendary Robert Earl Keen Jr. Kathy opted to head over to the San Carlos to see the likes of Better Than Ezra’s Kevin Griffin and Ed Roland from Collective Soul. I stayed for all of Robert Earl’s fantastic set before heading over to join Kathy in time to catch Chuck Cannon & Sarah Buxton and then Raul Malo & James Slater.

Michael & Robert Earl Keen Jr.

John Pardi





Robert Earl Keen

Once again after the finish of the San Carlos show, we popped over to catch the end of the show at the Tropic Theatre where we were able to watch the final round of performers that included Like Laird, Lori McKenna, Steve Bogard & Barry Dean. It was great again though the many slow songs sort of was quieter than the mood we were in- something that was fixed fairly quickly when we went over to finish the night at the late night throwdown at Irish Kevin’s.

Robert Earl Keen Jr.





Chuck Cannon

Sarah Buxton