Friends Make Your Best Live Music Supporters

 

The Shanty Hounds played at Willie T's for about three years before COVID hit. To say we loved it there would be an understatement. It was always a really fun gig and we always did well there, the customers had a blast, and the establishment always had great numbers on our shifts!

When COVID subsided and everyplace reopened, things were a bit sketchy at first for all businesses. Because of this, The Shanty Hounds were taken off Willie T's schedule. 

Since then they've called us as a fill in, which we're more than happy to do! 

Often our friends ask us "When are you playing Willie T's?". All we can say is "Whenever they ask us!" 

The main purpose of an establishment having live music, the true bottom line, is to generate more sales. We understand this and cater our shows with that in mind. However, it must be stated that we have a fabulous group of friends who support us and that's what makes it happen!

We filled in at Willie T's a few months back, two Mondays in a row. The first Monday fifteen friends came to see us! The second Monday sixteen friends came by. Thank you!

Willie T's had us back today, Monday, January 2nd 2023 and.... jeeze! 

We have the greatest friends! Over twenty friends came to see us! 

Monday's early shift, 11 - 2 work for us!

They consumed both food and drinks and had a great time in doing so! Another important factor is that when people are walking down Duval and pass a place that is hopping, they go in to check out what all the excitement is. It also goes without saying that had we not been there, our friends would have been elsewhere.

Our Modus Operandi is to have fun at gigs and that works well for us!

Of course our motto is:  "If anyone here is not having a good time I'm afraid we're going to have to ask you to leave!" 😀

So again, major gratitude to all who came by and had FUN with us on Monday and loving and supporting live music in Key West, and The Shanty Hounds! 

Thank you SO much!!! 

Thank you to Willie T's for having us!

And a BIG tip of the hat to Steve Craigo, who always gets this ball rolling and has followed and supported us since he moved to Key West! We love you, Steve!

💖💖💖💛💜💓💓

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"Time Traveler - The Oddities and Adventures of a Key West Bartender". The first of the series! 

Follow Mark Straight's continuing journey and friendships from current Key West, back to historical Key West and elsewhere!

 Order paperback or download here! Paperback comes with a free download!

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"Time Traveler II - The Further Adventures of a Time Traveling Key West Bartender"

This book picks up where "Time Traveler The Oddities and Adventures of a Key West Bartender" leaves off!

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"BAR STORIES - A semi-fictional adventure-tour as witnessed from a bar stool"

Individual stories of things I've seen in bars over the years which are noteworthy... and in most cases, humorous! Read about The Jack Daniels Floor Cocktail, or Bar Cherry, or Kamikaze, The Cox That Rocks, Only In Key West... the list goes on!

Time Traveler III Excursion! The latest in the series! Fun to read as either a first time reader to the series, or a seasoned reader of the series!

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                   Available on Amazon! 21 Five-Star ratings!

 

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All The Best From Key West! Released in December, 2019, to rave reviews! 

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The Ark of Music

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THANK YOU!!!!!

Key West Chris Rehm  😃 🎸🎸📕📖📚

Why Is "Cayo Hueso Rain" One Of My Best Songs?

 

Is Cayo Hueso Rain my best song? Well, I can't say there is a best song. Having said that, of the songs I've released, on my own personal standards, there is nothing less than an "A". Have I written anything less than an A? Of course! Many, many times more than the A's. However, these are discarded, often before completion and none have ever been recorded. We all have our own standards. This is mine. 😀

When I grew up, a lot of songs stimulated the gray matter, both musically and lyrically. Dylan brought the songs with meaning into the fold from folk music, followed by The Beatles, Buffalo Springfield.. etc. In addition, improvisation arrived with bands like Cream, the The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers. All of this was music that made the listener sit up and listen.

These were large influences on my writing. To stimulate the listener's mind is ideal. Many listeners don't have that capacity. The ones who do are my type of listeners. 

For those who do, read on! 😃

1) When I came up with the concept of Cayo Hueso Rain, the first thing I wanted to do was come up with music that sounded like it was raining. Though the concept was in place, no lyrics were written at this point, however I needed something that, even if there were no lyrics, the listener would consciously, or unconsciously, sense that it was raining. I needed something like a lite rain, very airy feel to it I ended up with an F5 add9  to a G 6/9 progression resolving with additional airy/rainy chords and it was exactly what I had in mind. 

This is a song, not a narration. The music is paramount. This was beautify melodic and a perfect foundation to write the story on! If one builds a house, they don't start with the roof, they start with a foundation. When I write a song, the foundation is paramount. Here, I had my objective.

(note: I always write the music first. Lennon/McCartney, Jagger/Richards, Garcia/Hunter did/do likewise.)

2) One of my goals in this song (and others) is placing the listener in an easy chair at home in Cincinnati, New York, Boston, Chicago... etc. on a winter evening with the snow falling outside. They may have their earphones on so not to be interrupted. They close their eyes, and fall into the music. They are now living the music with the protagonist, in Key West.

note: One definition of Trop Rock is, escapism. I live in Key West. I can't write a song about coming to Key West, I live here and have since 2008. A few years ago on a review, the author called my music Island Americana. I liked that and I've labeled my music that since. I write about the things I see on a day to day basis in Key West.  For the individual who wants to live here, this song, and my music, is for them.

3) In a subtle way, "Cayo Hueso Rain" walks the listener through the streets of Key West and allows them to see the town through the eyes of the protagonist, on a rainy day on the island.

4) It's almost like Dickins' "A Christmas Carol" for the listener, in that the listener is guided through the town in the song seeing the wonderful, the middle of the road, the sad, the happy and the tragic. Unlike "A Christmas Carol", the listener is only an observer and what they see is no reflection on them in the slightest.

5) One fun aspect of the song is the name. When I play this song out, I'll often ask the audience "Does anyone here know Key West's original name?". The question is often a bunch of confused faces that look as though they are asking "What? Key West had other names?" The original name for Key West is Cayo Hueso, the Spanish name which literally translates to "Bone Key" . Some call it "Bone Island" However, this is not quite correct. If it were Bone Island The Spanish name would be Isla Hueso. The word "Cayo" translates to the English word, Key, Also, to this day, Spanish speakers refer to Key West as Cayo Hueso. It's a fun little interlude at a gig!

6) The song is in the key of F and while 99% of songs resolve on the key's root chord, this does not. It really just floats off into the distance on a dissonant variation of the 4 chord and the protagonist floats away like a ghost "... So all I think I'll do is walk around, this beautiful island town, in the Cayo Hueso rain, in the Cayo Hueso rain, en la lluvia de Cayo Hueso, in the Cayo Hueso rain.... "

7) Who is the protagonist/guide that just took us through such a fascinating walk of Key West in the rain? He showed us Cuban Coffee, people scampering into bars to escape the rain, the list goes on and on. His tour was insightful and from someone who knows the town inside out. However, who was he?

Hint: He's an anonymous individual, yet is categorized. 

https://music.apple.com/us/song/cayo-hueso-rain/1564666511

https://www.amazon.com/Cayo-Hueso-Rain/dp/B093CPDVFP

Thanks for reading my blog! The smart readers will have the insight!