It's always nice to get a complement
and recently Tim Gerlach of Bone Island Radio labeled The Shanty
Hounds “The hardest working band”. I kind of laughed
when I heard it, but later it dawned on me, at least in our genre and aslo location, as we are a duo and not a
solo act, he very well may be right. As of September 1st
we had 40 gigs booked for the month. That was an eye-opener as well,
when I thought about it. I know of acts around the country that don't do
that many gigs in a year!
With a full schedule and more important
things at hand, such as Hurricane Dorian relief promotions, the “Hardest working" subject
rightfully took a back seat for a spell. There's still a long, long way to go so please donate what you can for The Bahamas here:
The other night I recalled a letter I
had sent to my guitar manufacture, Ibanez, last year that I had
forgotten about. I had done some research back then and the results were that
we were playing in front of 2,500 – 4000 people a week or up to
16,000 per month (this month will be more). That's pushing 200,000 per year. 😮
As of this moment we've played 264 gigs
this year. Conservatively, I'd estimate that we'll play over one
hundred more gigs between now and the end of the year, so we should
total out somewhere around 350 – 370 gigs. I haven't counted last
year's tally, but it's about the same.
The man, the legend, the music sage,
who has played in Key West for over 35 years, and recorded the finest
live album (Fish Nuts) recorded in a bar that has ever been
made in the world, Barry Cuda
said
“When I was a kid
all of my music heroes would be on the road touring and when they
finally got home, they could go fishing for a week before hitting the
road again. Well I came down to Key West and found I didn't have to
tour. Here, it's the audience that's on tour!”
Truer words have
never been spoken. The vast majority of gigs we play are between ¼
of a mile to 1 mile from our home and like Barry Cuda says, we have a
different audience every gig because they are
the ones on tour.
Like my soon to be
released song, “Local Island Bar” says – "We're in the right
place''.
Currently, we fall
in the genre of Trop Rock, or Coastal Americana. Either name works.
Calling ace's ace's, the majority of people attending our gigs have
no clue what the genre is, or that it's actually genre to begin with.
We're different in
so many ways to other bands within the genre. If you look at the other
acts, they play either locally, or nationally. The
people they play to are an audience predominantly looking
specifically for that type of music and people who they follow in the genre.
We are very
fortunate in that we get a LOT of fans of the genre coming from out
of town to see us! THANK YOU!!! While we also do play for local Trop/Coastal
groups, from time to time, with us, the majority of the nearly 200,000 people at the 350+ gigs we play, are not fans, not because they have
anything against it, but because they are unfamiliar with it and have no idea that it actually exists.
That's an important statement, as it pertains to the growth of the genre, so I'll say it again:
They are unfamiliar with Trop Rock/Coastal Americana and have no idea that it actually exists.
Because of my
musical education and literary upbringing, my music often tends to be
a good deal more cerebral in both composition and lyrics. I recall
being taken aback once after playing my song “Seaplane”, which
has …. twenty-four different chords in it, one day and when I was
finished, this guy comes up to me and says “You sound just like
Jimmy Buffett!”
My immediate
reaction was to think “My music is nothing like Jimmy
Buffett's!” And it's not. However, I stopped myself and thought: If
someone never heard a symphony orchestra, then heard Stravinsky's
“The Right Of Spring”, followed by Johann Strauss II's “Tales
of the Vienna Woods”, they'd think they sounded just like each
other, particularly from the pedestrian point of view. This is
exactly the same as my new friend. He ended up buying a CD and left curious about the new genre he just stumbled across, that fit his vacation hideaway, Key West so well. This happens quite often.
Point being, we expose a lot of new people to our genre.
An important note:
Although Key West may be Mecca for Trop Rock/Coastal Americana with
Jimmy Buffett getting his start here and with Kenny Chesney so often in
town just hanging out, if we played only Trop
Rock/Coastal Americana, we'd be on welfare and live under the Palm Avenue overpass, because no one would hire
us.
Therefore, we also
play The Stones, The Allman Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, The
Grateful Dead, Buffett, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Kenny Chesney, Lucinda
Williams, Asleep At The Wheel, Zac Brown, Tom Petty, Little Feat,
Carol King, Jonathan Edwards, J.J. Cale, John Prine, Janis... the
list goes on and on. On the flip side, Dani and I stuff a bunch of
our own songs into every mix.
We deal with a
pedestrian crowd, for the most part. They only really know the hits and
predominantly that's what they ask us to play. However, if we play a few
songs they know, we then have their attention and when we play a song or
two of our own, they are are very receptive of it! “Wow! That's one
of your songs? That was fabulous!”. More new fans introduced
to the genre. Plus, our music fits their vacation locale! In a month they are missing Key West, so they pop on our album and... they jump back to to a live gig in Key West in their mind!
Also available at:
iTunes Store
iTunes Store
It's a formula that
works.
We love every
minute of it and we bust our ass once, twice, sometimes three times a
day doing it.
The Shanty Hounds –
Show some love 😍😍😍
Thank you for reading my blog!!!
Please donate for the relief of the Bahamas Hurricane Dorian. Key West Cares is a group of Key West citizens, business owners, and politicians volunteering to assist our Mother City, Green Turtle Cay ,a barrier island off the Abacos. They've been doing a tremendous job!!! Please donate directly via the link. Thank you!
25% of The Shanty Hounds tip jar is being donated to Key West Cares as well.
Please check out The Shanty Hounds NEW LIVE RELEASE!!!
“Unleashed! Live at Grunts – Key West”
Also available at:
iTunes Store
iTunes Store
Please check out my book "Time Traveler - The Oddities and Adventures of a Key West Bartender". Follow Mark Straight's continuing journies and friendships from current Key West, back to historical Key West and elsewhere!
Order paperback or download here! Paperback comes with a free download!
26 Five-Star ratings!
Also, my first book, Bar Stories, is now available in paperback!
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Also, here's more of music here at iTunes!
Enjoy the sound of the Keys!
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