Playing In The Band
It will be five years this August that
The Shanty Hounds formed! Wow! Time flies! It was actually quite
funny how it all came about. Dani Hoy moved here just before that New
Year, eight months earlier. I was giving her a set to play at all of
my gigs on her own and my sets were solo as well. So I'd play a
couple of sets, and Dani would do one.
A friend of ours, Reddawg, a
percussionist, called and said he had a gig and asked if Dani and I
would we share it with him. We said sure and did our usual deal of
doing solo sets, albeit with Reddawg on his Zenn Drum. It worked out
perfectly! At the end of the gig he said “Why don't we start a
band?”
I explained to him that I played my
stuff and Dani played hers, to which he replied:
“Why don't we start a band?”.
I went on again stating that neither of
us played each others music, to which he replied:
“Why don't we start a band?”
After about five of these exchanges I
said “So you're suggesting I learn Dani's songs and she learn
mine?”
His reply never wavered: “Why don't
we start a band?”.
And that how we started! Thank You
Reddawg!!!
The bottom line is: Reddawg started The
Shanty Hounds and we're forever grateful!
We needed a name and we called the
little cottage at the we lived in at end of Thomas Street “The
Conch Rock Shanty”. Plus, we had Cajun and Toolouloo, two whippets,
which are sight hounds. Dani put them together and came up
with the name “Shanty Hounds”, which I thought was fantastic! I
however added the word “The” as a prefix. So many of the best
bands in the world start with “The”! The Beatles, The Rolling
Stones, The Allman Brothers Band, The Grateful Dead... so it became
“The Shanty Hounds”!
Reddawg played with us until December.
After ten years in Key West, he felt it was time to go back home to
Pennsylvania. Reddawg made it so much FUN and he added SO much
energy! We love Reddawg and miss him enormously!
While it was really sad losing Reddawg,
we were having such a good time at the point when he left, the
thought never crossed our minds of stopping. Reddawg brought us to
that level! Additionally, we were getting more and more gigs. People
came to our shows and had fun!
It was our Reddawg roots perhaps, or maybe the complete chemistry we
had both with Reddawg, as well between the two of us!
One
thing Dani would say, kind of off the cuff and a little secretly, to
me on the side after several gigs was “People really
like what we do!” She was right, too! Our audiences really did like
us! Our gigs were fun and the music was not the typical songs you
would hear other players playing in other bars in Key West. Because
of that, our audiences grew with both visitors to the island, as well
as locals. We were unique and again, fun! We also were good enough to
cut the mustard in Key West. We made so many new incredible friends! Our strongest asset, is our friends!
I always remembered
back in the eighties when I was working my day job at a BMW
dealership, my friend Rick Asci, the General Manager, was forced to
eject a customer from our place of business, The guy was just
argumentative about everything. Rick however was very professionally
and calmly, with his hands behind his back, so he was in a very
non-threatening position, said to the guy “Sir, I'm afraid I'm
going to have to ask you to leave”. Rick said it twice and the guy
turned around and left.
That always stayed
in my memory and I always had a great amount of respect for Rick.
He's a very smart guy.
Then, all these
years later it dawns on me. As I said, we have a fun band and at our
gigs and everyone is having a great time! One night I took the cue
from Rick, thirty years earlier and adapted it to the band. I stepped
up to the mic in between songs and made the proclamation:
“If anyone here
is not having a good time, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to
leave”
I can't tell you
how many times I've said that and a group of people head right out
the door!
Of course they
immediately turn around and come back in, laughing their asses off!
That's what it's all about, having fun! That saying has become the
creed and motto of The Shanty Hounds.
We were blessed
with starting with a fabulous foundation. If you don't have a bottom
end as solid as concrete you will never last in this town. We started
out with that because of Reddawg, who was a decade long veteran of
playing Key West bars. After he left we had percussive help from John
Sausser, and to a lesser extent, Rogue, who was on the island on a
seasonal basis (he and his wife just moved here permanently).
The majority of
gigs we had have been as a duo and we became tighter and tighter. I
recall being taken aback when people in the audience came up to us
after a gig and telling us that they were life-long professional
musicians and would tell us that we sounded
really good.
This would happen
on a regular basis, as well, and still does as we approach our five
year anniversary. It's one thing when someone who may be an
accountant, a teacher, a sales person, an engineer, people from all
walks of life, approach us and say how much they enjoyed our show! It
means so much to Dani and myself that we helped make their afternoon,
or evening wonderful! Especially for those who are visiting. They may
only get one week off a year, they go to Key West and leave our gig
smiling! There is a very special feeling knowing that we contributed
highly to their week, a week of memories that will sustain their
outlook and attitude for the next fifty-one weeks of their lives,
until they return. Their week in Key West is what they live for! That
is so gratifying!
From a musician's
standpoint, when a career musician, someone who graduated from
Berklee School of Music, or Julliard, approach us and say to us
“You guys sound fantastic!”. For me, that really hits home.
Getting validation from top music professionals with PhD. degrees in
music, has left me at a loss of words. Having said that, speaking for
myself, I'm never satisfied with my playing and always strive to do
better.
It's a slow process
that you don't realize. No matter what you build in life, a house,
relationship or a career, you need to start with a solid foundation.
We started off with a fabulous foundation and it built
over the subsequent years.
Photo by Ralph De Palma
Photo by Ralph De Palma
There are
incredible musicians who both live here, as well as pass through!
I've looked up to most and find them amazing and truly inspiring!
One thing I've noted way, way, way back when I first visited the
island in 1978, was the level of professionalism of musicians who
played here. With us, things have likewise progressed.
It's funny, really
funny actually, some of the things that have happened over these last
several years. We had been playing outside at Grunts one evening and
an author we know was walking up the street with some friends. We
called out to him and they all came over. Now, we've known him for
years, but he's never seen, or heard us play. Additionally, he's well
connected with several national artists in the music world as well,
having co-written songs as well.
So, he and his
friends came in and sat down at a table in front of the stage. It was
late, though we had time for three songs, so we kicked into three of
our own, “Yippie Cayo Hueso”, “I Like It Hot”, and “Tote
The Load”. As we were playing the first song, Yippie, I looked
over at him and he was sitting in the chair with his jaw open wide,
his eyes bugging out, and both of his arms dangling on either side of
the chair he was sitting in. This was his reaction throughout the
three songs. He didn't move a muscle. It was as though he was in a
trance!
When we finished,
he got up to leave and gave us a subtle wave and said “That was
amazing!” shaking his head. Here was someone who, as a
co-songwriter of songs, and one of whom is a very,very well known
national artist, said he said we were “amazing”. Can you ask for
a better complement than that? I was humbled.
During several
musical events held here in Key West, we've been fortunate to either
play in, or have our regular gigs playing during the overall event.
At a few of these, several national acts happened to stop by and hang
out Their eyes were seriously wide open. When we went to their gigs,
I understood why.
Back in March we
were playing at our usual Sunday gig at Willie T's. For those
unfamiliar with the venue, the seating parallels and abuts the
sidewalk, albeit being about a foot or so higher, with a railing. The
stage faces the crowd. We have a three song set where I play slide
guitar on: Tracy Chapman's “Give Me One Reason” Janis' “Mercedes
Benz”, and Kris Kristopherson's “Bobby McGee”, all of which
Dani sings.
We're just into
Give Me One Reason and out of the corner of my eye, I see a man and
woman standing on the sidewalk, up against the railing, listening to
us. This happens there all the time, so it's nothing out of the
ordinary. I glance over at them, then look back at the crowd.
Suddenly it sinks in and I say to myself “WTF???”
I look back at
them. The guy is Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead. I figure he gets
approached all the time, so I say nothing and just keep playing. They
stayed for three songs and threw some money in the tip jar when they
left. Talk about a complement and an honor! I've been a major fan
of his since I was a teenager. No one plays guitar like Bob Weir.
No one! He could have walked by, but he stopped and listened to
three songs by The Shanty Hounds! YAY! Thank you Bob Weir!
As a songwriter,
I've been published for nearly twenty years in Nashville, with
McClure and Trowbridge Publishing. My song “Sunshine and Roses”
is currently being reviewed for Trisha Yearwood's upcoming album in
the Fall. Fingers crossed, we'll see!
The Shanty Hounds'
current album, “Unleashed!” is doing well! Live albums seem to
have fallen out of the limelight these days. That's one reason we
decided to do one! The thing about live albums is that there are no
real excuses. In the studio, you might spend all day laying down a
guitar track, or a piano track until you get it 100% right. You don't
have that option going live. You're on the high wire without a net!
So proficiency is a must as well.
The advantage a
live album potentially has is the
energy! There are a lot of types of
music in the arena and if an act without energy, perhaps something
the more cerebral context, wants to do an album, their best route is
a studio album. A live album for them is a sleeping pill for someone
buying the said recording.
While each has their advantages,
the main strong point of a live album is the energy it showcases. I
can't begin to tell you how many times I'd seen a performer live,
then bought their studio album and said to myself “This is a dud!
It's nothing like what I just saw!”
As for The Shanty Hounds......We have energy!
Photo by Natalie Pairmont
Photo by Theresa Kalvatis
This is why I'm so
happy we did our live album! When someone comes up to us at the end
of a gig and says “I love what you're doing! Do you have a CD?”
I can say to them “If you want the same punch, maybe more, here's
our live album!” and when they are back home in Peoria, Saratoga,
Sacramento, Chicago, New York, Detroit, LA, New Orleans... wherever,
they can put the live CD on, close their eyes, and they're back in
Key West at The Shanty Hounds gig! After all, what is our strongest asset?
Our Friends!!!!
That is the
objective from our perspective. Long before I moved to Key West, I
was living one-hundred and thirty-eight miles north of here in Cutler
Bay. I'd have BBQ parties (me? BBQ parties??? Imagine that!) and
put on Barry Cuda and the Shark's live album “Fish Nuts” and
suddenly we had the whole Key West vibe on! We had the real deal
Key West live pulse happening! The entire party would have an
authentic, thorough Key West pulsation to it! It wasn't as though it
was a band from Buffalo, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Tennessee, or
Tallahassee making pretend they were in Key West. Barry Cuda is
Key West, the real deal. 'Cuda is the blood pumping through the
veins of the city and has been for thirty-five years, or so.
We had that same
opportunity and with the help of Bob Tucker on bass, John Sausser on
drums, Ian Shaw recording and producing, plus Denis Blackham
mastering, and our group of friends who showed up in both support and
backing vocals on “Yippie Cayo Hueso”we pulled it off! Thank
you!!!
As far as gigging
goes, we're busy! We make our living playing gigs in Key West. On any
given week we're playing 5 – 10 gigs a week. Most of those gigs are
in Key West and if they are in Key West, they are no more than a mile
away from home. We also play a few gigs a month up the Keys, as well.
For years I have
joked “They don't pay us to play, they pay us to lug everything in,
set it up, then tear it down and lug it away” The roadies we hire
never show up! 😆 That's the actual working we do! Depending on
the gig depends on who sets up and who parks the car. However, at every gig we're getting there, unloading, setting up, playing the gig, tearing it down, loading it back into the car and off to the next adventure
This last May, the
Tampa-based radio station, Bone Island Radio called us the hardest
working band in Key West. I thanked them while they were in town, of
course. I can't say about being the busiest in Key West? There are
some very, very hard working musicians in this town! However, maybe
in the Trop Rock genre?
Last July we did
thirty six gigs. I don't know any other city where something like
that could be achieved, other than Key West? So, by proxy, within the
genre itself, we may very well be the busiest? I couldn't say?
Seriously however, any way
you look at it, frankly, every day, we really do
bust our ass. 😁😉
We couldn't do it without our friends though! Thank you!!!
I'll be having a
five song EP coming out this summer, titled “All The Best From Key
West”. Although it's a selection of five of my songs, Dani is on
every one as a vocalist, plus these are songs that we do as The
Shanty Hounds as well. These songs will have a host of fabulous local
musicians, as well as a few visitors such as Emily Randal and Alan
Jax Bowers, both of whom we've played with before, but not until now
in a studio setting.
Emily Randle at Warm Fuzz Studio
A few of these
songs have been released as singles, however once the final songs are
done and approved by producer Ian Shaw, they will all be sent to The
Isle Of Sky in Scotland to Denis Blackham (yes, one n in Denis) where
everything will be mastered by the master!
Oh! I also have a
bit of a jump on my next album after the EP with the rhythm sections
done and then some. Progress!
On this release
however, unlike in the past, the distribution will be augmented. The
completed EP will go to all but one Trop Rock station (A1A). The
stations I will be sending it to have always been extremely
supportive! Thank you very much! Our fan base has been just
phenomenal as well! Thank you everyone!!! The print media in Trop
Rock doesn't pay too much attention to what I do, so two out of three
is pretty good I think!
What I will be
doing on this release is adding the Americana genre to the mix. Note:
“adding” is the operative word here. It's not as though I'm
leaving Trop Rock. I'm not at all. What I'm doing is adding Americana
to what I have. Dani has been a member for a few years and Danny Lynn
also hopped on board with Tiki Man Radio, I'm guessing about a year
and a half ago?
The quest, of
course is gaining new fans. Americana offers interesting, new avenues
to pursue, plus they have additional opportunities for my books!
Additionally, the opportunity of getting the press I'm not getting in
the Trop Rock genre, is wide open.
Another thing is
that with Americana, the avenues for getting reviews exist. In Trop
Rock, it really doesn't. I may be wrong, but I have the impression
that the reasons Trop Rock publications don't do reviews is because
they always want to stay on the positive? If they do a bad review
for Fanny Mango Muffin's new release, they run the risk of Fanny
accosting them at an event, that in addition to Fanny's fans suddenly
having an ax to grind with the publication and the staff within it.
On the other hand, if they do reviews of releases and say everything
is just delightful with every review, they have no credibility
whatsoever. So, from their perspective I understand why they don't do reviews. I wrote for Southeast Performer mag, which at the time was one of several arms of it's parent Performer Mag. Today it is just Performer Mag and can be found on-line. Because of that, I do understand a bit about music publications.
Back before I moved to Key West, I would come here and search out the local things. I wanted to feel that pulse of the town. I'd listen to Mike McCloud, or The Survivors. Their songs were about living here. That's what I was looking for. I wasn't looking for the tourist approach of longing to be here. I was looking for music that was about life here. When I moved here in 2008, that's what I naturally started to do. That's one of the things in the Trop Rock genre that I do that is somewhat unique. Like McCloud, the Survivors, and a few others, I write about things I see in day-to-day existence in Key West. It's like the saying goes "Write what you know".
As a writer, musician and performer, my desire is to put forth my art on the finest canvas available. Doing things the right way, with the best people, is the only way I'll release something that has my name on it. The back side of this is consequently spending between $1,500 and $2,500 per recorded song to do so. With that in mind, I
initially need three things: A) Enough people to buy my songs to at
least break even. Doing the math, that puts us somewhere in the $10,000 range for five songs. B) Radio stations to play my works C) Publications
to both promote and critique my work.
If we look at C for
one second: Yes, I'm putting my head on a chopping block. Do I really
want to take that risk?
Answer: Absolutely!
To begin with, I'm
a Nashville published songwriter and have been so for twenty years
come 2020. Within the Trop Rock genre, of the hundreds of people who
write their own material, there are maybe a half a dozen
published songwriters. That's it. We all have things we exceed at.
For me, I do a very good BBQ, Im told I can write an excellent book, and I
can write a damn good song.
So, if I get the
very best people to play with me on my current upcoming EP “All The
Best From Key West”, I'll give them a concrete-solid foundation to
work with (that would be the song and arrangement), a producer who is
second to none (Ian Shaw), then have it mastered by someone who's
mastered Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Otis Reading, The Shanty Hounds,
Crosby Stills Nash and Young, The Who, Jimi Hendrix... the list goes
on and on, I'll be thrilled to have it reviewed!
Will every review
love it? No. Taste is subjective. However, having it reviewed any way
I look at it, is a plus. However, with solid songs, the best players
available, a great production and mastering, what do I have to
skeptical about?
Once the EP is
completed, the plan is to send it out to the dozen, or so Trop Rock
stations, then send it through to be distributed to Americana
stations. I'm excited, needless to say!
Dani, is a
marvelous graphic illustrator for two decades and has been using
that talent for local businesses here in Key West, as well as doing original art work, local and nationwide. Additionally, she's been doing graphic work for other musician's promotions,
websites, and album covers. She's fabulous!!! If you have any graphic needs, contact her at:
danihoy68@gmail.com
In addition, she's
taken to painting portraits of local friends homes, here in Key West!
She may also have prints made of some! Stay tuned!
Fortunately, the
Shanty Hounds are busy! Just in the last five days we've
played one gig last Friday, two gigs on Saturday, two gigs Sunday,
and two gigs yesterday, then one tomorrow, two Friday, one Saturday,
two Sunday.... We've come a long way and we are very fortunate and very, very grateful!
If it wasn't for our friends support, we wouldn't be here! THANK YOU!!!!
For those who have supported us in the past, and for those who join in the future, you are the ones who are why The Shanty Hounds exist! We are forever grateful!
We look forward to everything on our horizon and for those who are on board with us now, and those in our future, taking The Shanty Hounds adventure with us!
