Key West Music And Happenings

Sunday, December 7, 2025

The Key West Music Awards - The Iggies

Hey everyone!

(I'm slapping this together under the influence of Chemo, so please excuse me if I start going off the rails HA HA HA! )

Key West is starting it's Iggy's awards, also known as The Key West Music Awards and I figure it's high time that I get on the stick and promote myself, which I really don't do all that well, truth be told. On the flip side, if one doesn't do it themselves, it will never get done. Naturally, there's a link to vote!

https://keywestmusicawards.com/nominate/

As you read below, you'll see what I do is really not what other artists about town do. One artist may be a virtuoso guitar player, another may play the violin, someone else the sax. Now take these super talented artists and look at their Facebook page. When they list what they do musically the first thing they say they is that they are a guitar player, or a violinist, or a sax player. With The Shanty Hounds I do play lead and slide guitar. and I also sing nearly 1/2 of our songs. However, if you look at what I do, the very first thing listed is "Songwriter", because primarily, that's what I am, a songwriter.

So, here are a few things that hopefully may assist in your vote!

1) I am a published songwriter. There are very few published songwriters about town. As a matter of fact, I'm published in both Nashville and London U.K. This means very little to someone who is potentially going to cast a vote. It's certainly not their fault. 95% musicians don't get what publishing is either! It's kind of like handing the person next to you a wrench and saying to them "Oh! Here's a wrench! Can you please fix my car?" and they're reply is "Uh, I'm a flight attendant". :-D

For starters, an artist overall doesn't go out searching for a publisher. To the contrary, a publisher searches out songwriters. The publisher's job is to search out songs that could make both parties a living. As Frank Zappa said "Never give away your publishing". Of course there is a compensation for both the publisher and the artist. Most of these are, to keep things simple, a 50/50 split these days. The publisher will try and place a song with another artist, or perhaps a commercial enterprise. Some say "Oh! Bubbling Joe sold out!". Actually Bubbling Joe didn't "sell out". When he signed with his new publisher, that gave the rights of placement to the publisher. Without that, the publisher wouldn't have signed with the artist to begin with. Think of Bob Seger's song "Like A Rock" that was use in Chevrolet pick up trucks adds for years and years. Bob Seger's publisher put that deal together. The artist doesn't put there deals together, they are too busy writing songs and being an artist. That's their strong point. Overall, the artists brain works on a creative left side of the brain, while the publisher's brain works on the right side. Consequently, publishers know both music and the music business inside and out. Their income depends on it. Over all, these people are experts in the field.

As I mentioned, I am published in in Nashville, as well as London, England.

As far as I know, there are no artists in Key West, or in the genre that I loosely fall into, Trop Rock (among others), who are published in both North America and also Europe.

As a matter of fact, very, very few artists are published at all. Thank you to both McClure and Trowbridge Nashville, and Millennium in London U.K.

That's important so I'll say it again, if you don't mind, as it's significant:

As far as I know, there are no songwriters in Key West, or in the genre that I loosely fall into, Trop Rock, (among others)who are published in both The United States and also Europe.:

2) Versatility.

The vast majority of local artists focus naturally on type of music they play. That's great for them! While they might write their own songs, their main focus may be an entertainer, a guitarist, a vocalist. For myself, my main focus is being a songwriter. For me it's a breath of fresh air to try something new!

Here's a twist. As a songwriter I have some songs that I don't even play on! Here's one I wrote and recorded for suicide prevention, "Sunshine and Roses". I wrote the music. I wrote the lyrics, I did the arrangement, however, by my own design, I didn't play on the recording, nor did I sing on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiiRLjnqUi0&list=RDIiiRLjnqUi0&start_radio=1

Vitally important and imperative:

If one is a songwriter, one has to know when to check their ego at the door.

Here's another, totally different than "Sunshine and Roses", Totally different genres. "Morning Coffee" is Mediterranean jazz, while "Sunshine and Roses" is Nashville Country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TKJdpCY_FQ

Yet another style, here are The Shanty Hounds (Dani Hoy and myself) playing with "The Ramble" house band at Key West Theater doing my song "Yippie Cayo Hueso"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A3nji9MNm0&list=RD1A3nji9MNm0&start_radio=1

Over the years I've written in Rock, Brazilian, Blues, Country, Motown, Funk, Bahamian, Afro-Cuban., South Pacific... I do my best to keep it well rounded :-)

https://keywestmusicawards.com/nominate/

I'll be shooting for Songwriter of the year, and with Dani and the Shanty Hounds Entertainer of the Year (Dani Hoy), Duo of the Year The Shanty Hounds), Vocalist of the year (Dani Hoy), Rock Act of the year - The Shanty Hounds

Saturday, May 24, 2025

Panama Hats

It was in 1986 that I first bought my first Panama hat and I've been wearing them ever since. I first saw them for sale through what was a really cool store at the time, Banana Republic. I say at the time because they were bought out by The Gap, and everything eventually went to Hell in a hand basket once corporate took over. Typical story when it comes to “Corporate”. It did take several years to happen, but it did.

Banana Republic was a whimsical escapism from reality specializing in Safari themed clothing. The stores had WW II army jeeps coming out through the front windows!

This certainly wasn't your average store. Regretfully, The Gap changed it into a boring mall store and tossed out all of the great quirks, like their monthly catalog, which was a paper catalog with drawings of their safari clothing, and fabulous anecdotes that went with them telling a fictionist stories that captivated the client. I always got a rush of excitement when I found it in my mail box every month.

However, I did get my first couple of hats through them before they turned into your basic, boring mall store.

Their quality was seriously good on everything, including the Panama hats. I recall their Panama's ran $89.00 for a top of the line “Fino”. Today, while the sky is the limit, a similar hat will run about $130.00.

I absolutely loved the Panama hats and when The Gap turned Banana Republic into a generic mall rat store, I went on safari in search of a new Panama. I learned a lot too!

I learned this next note earlier. Panama hats are not from Panama!

The story goes that when the Americans were building The Panama Canal, hats from Ecuador were brought in that they could shade their heads, while working digging the canal.

They were quite stylish and made from a straw, unique to Ecuador, called “Toquia” (say toe KEE a). The laborers building the canal realized they could make some money on the side selling the hats in the US, so they shipped them from Panama to San Francisco.

The retailers receiving the hats that were sent from Panama, just assumed they were from Panama and called them Panama Hats. The name stuck!

One of the cool things about Panama Hats when I bought that first one, was that they weren't all that common, so they were pretty unique. If you were wearing one and passed someone on the street who was also wearing one, you'd wave and say “Hey! Nice hat!”. It was kind of an exclusive club, without the exclusive club attitude and a fun attitude.

Over the last thirty-nine years I've had a good amount of Panamas and I loved every one! Plus, I've always had at least one. Sure, I've worn a lot of baseball caps, especially on boats where a Panama hat might go flying away with a wind gust. However, I've always had them.

Lately, at least here in Key West, things are accelerating in the Panama Hat sales. It's to the point that wearers no longer acknowledge each other any more. You'll see Panamas everywhere down here these days, it seems.

Hey, guess what? No matter what happens, I'll always have a Panama Hat at my disposal!

Damn! Those are seriously classy hats!

Thank you for reading my blog! If you like, check out my music and books! My music is wherever you download your music from! Books are at Amazon.

Just search "Key West Chris"

Sunday, December 29, 2024

Song dissection: "Liveaboard"

Liveaboard is a quirky song story from the get go, however, having said that, it's a cool song to delve into with a fun story!

I was living in Cutler Bay in southern Miami Dade County in 2006 and regular trips were the norm to the upper keys for me on the weekends. In 35 minutes from leaving the house, I'd be sitting at the bar of The Caribbean Club in Key Largo. I'd sometimes travel as far as Marathon, to the Dockside Bar, with additional stops in Islamorada. The Keys were always my favorite destination. Additionally, my band "The Rabble Rousers" played at "Gilberts" in Key Largo somewhat often.

I worked in Coral Gables and took the bus/train to work every weekday. There's a free paper in Miami called "New Times" and I'd often pick one up to read on the forty minute trip in or out. This one day a particular story struck me. It was focused on the anchorage in Marathon just off the Dockside Bar. Apparently the city was changing it's policy and reducing the anchor buoys. Many of the people who lived on their boats for as long as thirty years, were being evicted.

If this wasn't an inspiration to write a song, nothing was.

I sat down on a Saturday with the intent of writing a song about this sad event. It just flowed out. Almost without thinking, with guitar in hand, I strummed a C add9 chord. It was perfect and natural chord for this song. There was no question for the next chord which floated naturally to a F F6 F. It happened to be a perfect fit and I was off and running! The idea as a songwriter, is to paint a picture of the scene for the listener and as luck would have it, I ended up with music that painted the picture and inspired the lyrics.

In my mind I was picturing a sailor who lived on the edge, day-to-day. Though it never says it, he's most likely getting on in years.

The intro to the song is:

"It's grits and grunts for breakfast I had 'em in the early morn'.

Dropped a line off the stern as I drank my coffee".

Here, I'm putting the protagonist in the spotlight, right off the bat. It's a bit colloquial here, in that I mention Grit's and Grunts. Of course everyone knows what "Grits" are, but what are "Grunts"? Grunts are a local, tropical South Florida fish. It's a poor man's fish. They are small, bony if filleted poorly. They are actually very tasty! You won't find them in markets for the most part. Again, it's mostly those who are on a budget. For the protagonist it's a free fish and a traditional keys breakfast.

"LAST NIGHT IT WAS YELLOWTAIL

I CALL THAT THE GOOD LIFE"

Yellowtail is is a type of snapper, considered to be the finest tasting snapper. Our guy struck it lucky last night!

"LATER I’LL HEAD TO THE MARINA

I HEAR THEY GOT SOME WORK

G F

BUT I’LL GET OUT IN TIME, MAKE A BEE LINE

Am G

BACK TO WHERE TODAY BEGAN"

Our protagonist needs work. Living isn't easy. He hears there's work to be had so he's off for a good day of honest work at the marina. However, at the end of the day he's making it back to his boat, as he says "Back To Where It All Began", which is borrowed from Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers song of the same name.

Structurally, and fortunately, everything flowed, like the tide, very naturally. with the chord progression flowing with a G F Am G.

This is important because with it resolving on the final G, (the 5 chord) it allows the song the option of going to the next verse, or going to the chorus. It's always good to have options! In this case it's the chorus.

"(chorus)

C Dm F G

‘CAUSE I’M A LIVEABOARD

C C Dm F G

LIVEABOARD

C F Dm G

F Fmaj7"

In this case the chorus is based off of the root chord of the song, G. A couple of notes here however. While the song anchor's itself on the root chord of C, the C used is a standard C chord, unlike the first chord of the verses, which is a C add9. The cool thing about the C add9 is that it pretty much floats kind of in the air. It's very lite and airy as it flows about non-committal through the verses of the song.

The chorus however, I wanted something definitive and assertive. Going with the straight C works perfectly because this is the protagonist stating unequivocally, that he's a liveaboard. This is the life he's chosen. This is who he is. He states this four times, which again, shows his assertiveness

The chorus is C Dm F G. Pretty straightforward. starting on the 1chord (C) and ending on the chord 5 (G)

To finish it off it resolves with F Fmaj7

What this does, with the F Maj7 is resolve the song and gives the listener the reminder that so much is beautiful and it dissolves the protagonist's bit of aggravation. It takes him off his soapbox. Nonetheless, life is never easy for the main character, as we see in the second verse, where he gets thrown out of the marina he's lived in for decades.

THEY THREW ME OUT OF OLD BOOT KEY

YOU KNOW I LIVED THERE FOR YEARS

EVERYNIGHT I’D WASH UP TO THAT DOCKSIDE BAR

BUT BIG MONEY MOVED IN AND THEY MOVED ME OUT

I AIN’T GOT NO MONEY, AIN’T GOT NO CLOUT

SO I FIRED UP THE MOTOR

AND OFF I GO

BUT I’M OFF THE HIGHWAY AND I’M ON THE WAVES

OFF TO GREET THE MORNING SUN

He's thrown out of his home port and with no other options, he sails on with little money. He, however, remains a defiant sailor, to the end saying "I'm off the highway and I'm on the waves".

However, more frustrations are still to come. The perils and frustrations that potentially exist on the water.

(coda)

F C

"BOWLIGHT, STERNLIGHT, ANY LIGHT I CAN’T SEE NOTHIN'

I NEED A FOGHORN

F C

BREAKAWAY, GETAWAY, ANYWAY, I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE

Am F F Maj7

DAWN

The coda:

Again, highlighting the stress and frustration of our protagonist, I'm using straight major chords to start off with, in this case F and C... at least to start. After he blows off some steam, at the end of the coda he says

C Am F G

"I can't wait for the dawn"

The Am is vital here as his uncertainty rises to the surface. The Am underlines these feelings.

GOT ME AN ANCHOR IN JEWFISH CREEK

I’D LIKE TO SWIM WITH THE DOLPHINS….. but

THOSE RED CROCODILE EYES THEY’RE PATROLLING

KEEPING THEIR WATCH

AND IT’S A HOT SUMMER DAY THINK I’LL FIND MY WAY

OVER TO GILBERT’S BAR

WET MY WHISTLE, TELL MY TALES TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO LISTEN

BUT I’LL STAY ANCHORED RIGHT HERE UNTIL MY LUCK

AND MONEY RUN OUT AND I GOTTA SHOVE OF

‘CAUSE I’M A LIVEABOARD…..

© August 13, 2006 Christopher R. Rehm

B.M.I.

In the final verse our protagonist finds refuge at Gilbert's Bar in Key Largo. He's going to avoid the crocs and head to the bar for a few beers, make friends, As he declarers:

"BUT I’LL STAY ANCHORED RIGHT HERE UNTIL MY LUCK

AND MONEY RUN OUT AND I GOTTA SHOVE OFF

‘CAUSE I’M A LIVEABOARD"

I had written this song and really never played it other than inside the house. I thought it was just a song that I wrote and honestly, I was in between on whether I wanted to play it out in public. My then wife, Gigi, would always say to me "That's a really good song! You should play it out!". I pretty much blew it off. However, after around the sixth or seventh time, I kind of started thinking about it. I was at an open mic and frankly, I had a few beers. My turn came and I played a couple of songs. My last song I didn't know what to play? "Liveaboard" came to mind and I just said "The hell with it. Lets get this over with. I'll just play Liveaboard and get that monkey off my back"

I played it as my last song. I finished and cleared off the stage. As I passed people in the audience, I lost count of how many people complemented me on the song. This was really rare....

Then, professional performer, Matt Anderson, asked me if he could play it at his gigs!

After I moved to Key West a couple of years in, I was walking up Duval St. and street performer, the now late John Lamana was playing and I went up to him and introduced myself and toss a $5 in his tip bucket. To which he replied "You don't have to tell me who you are! You're Chris Rehm. You wrote the song Liveaboard! Of course I know you!"

Shortly after I played it at the open mic, it became my signature song.

And I was ready to put Liveaboard on the storage shelf!

It must be stated that while here, the protagonist is a salty guy who survives day to day, a liveaboard can be anyone just like him, or, someone who lives on their 300FT. $12M yacht can also be a liveaboard. To be a liveaboard all you have to do is live on your boat.

LIVEABOARD

intro: Cadd9 –F/F6

I) IT’S GRITS AND GRUNTS FOR BREAKFAST

Cadd9

I COUGHT ‘EM IN THE EARLY MORN’

F /F6 /F

DROPPED A LINE OFF THE STERN

AS I DRANK MY COFFEE

LAST NIGHT IT WAS YELLOWTAIL

I CALL THAT THE GOOD LIFE

LATER I’LL HEAD TO THE MARINA

I HEAR THEY GOT SOME WORK

AND I’LL GET OUT IN TIME, MAKE A BEE LINE

G F

BACK TO WHERE TODAY BEGAN

Am G

(chorus)

‘CAUSE I’M A LIVEABOARD

C Dm F G

LIVEABOARD

C F Dm G F Fmaj7

II)

Cadd9 F/F6

THEY TOSSED ME OUT OF OLD BOOT KEY

YOU KNOW I LIVED THERE FOR YEARS

EVERYNIGHT I’D WASH UP TO THAT DOCKSIDE BAR

BUT BIG MONEY MOVED IN AND THEY MOVED ME OUT

I AIN’T GOT NO MONEY, AIN’T GOT NO CLOUT

SO I FIRED UP THE MOTOR

AND OFF I GO

BUT I’M OFF THE HIGHWAY AND I’M ON THE WAVES

G F

OFF TO GREET THE MORNING SUN

Am G

(chorus)

(coda)

BOWLIGHT, STERNLIGHT, CAN’T SEE NOTHIN

I NEED A FOGHORN

BREAKAWAY, GETAWAY, ANYWAY, I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE

F C

DAWN

Am F G

III) FOUND ME AN ANCHOR IN JEWFISH CREEK

YOU KNOW I’D LIKE TO SWIM WITH THE DOLPHINS….. but

THOSE RED CROCODILE EYES THEY’RE PATROLLING

KEEPING THEIR WATCH

AND IT’S A HOT SUMMER DAY THINK I’LL FIND MY WAY

OVER TO GILBERT’S BAR

WET MY WHISTLE, TELL MY TALES TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO LISTEN

BUT I’LL STAY ANCHORED RIGHT HERE UNTIL MY LUCK

G F

AND MONEY RUN OUT AND IT'S TIME TO SHOVE OFF

Am G

(chorus)

CAUSE I’M A LIVEABOARD…..

B.M.I.

Christopher R. Rehm is a published songwriter in both Nashville (McClure and Trowbridge Publishing, Nashville ) and in London, England, United Kingdom. (Millennium Production Music)

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