Key West Music And Happenings: Key West Re-Opens,Tropical Music In Paradise, and.... The After Party

KEY WEST RE-OPENS!!!

On June 1^st Key West relaxed it's restrictions and travel to the island resumed. Hotels, B&Bs, Guesthouses, and motels are permitted 50% occupancy. Bars opened on Friday, June 6^th. I got a kick out of Dani telling me that some had opened at 12:01 AM! 😃👍

Achtung! Achtung!
Key West has a $500 fine for not wearing a mask.

Just a heads up there.

The Shanty Hounds played Two Friends Patio Restaurant five times since restaurants were permitted to re-open a few weeks ago. For clarification, up until this last week, only Keys residents were customers, as no one else was allowed into the Keys.

I was very impressed with the owner and management's dedication to sticking to the rules. No contact temperatures were taken from customers prior to entry and so long as the customer didn't have a temperature, entrance was permitted. At that time, capacity was limited to 25%. Every customer must be wearing a mask upon entering, but once inside, they may take them off. Tables were 6' apart and mapped out with blue tape on the floor. All employees are required to be wearing a mask. Two Friends Patio Restaurant dotted every I and crossed every T, as per the State of Florida's regulations.

We were out Friday evening and there was a good amount of people on Duval. Some places have not reopened as of yet. Sloppy Joe's has not yet opened as of tonight (Sunday, June 8). Blue Heaven is not opened yet either. However, they will be opening when they are ready. Others are gone. We walked down the 200 block of Duval and I was amazed how many store fronts are now empty. We used to play at Lucy's. They closed up a few weeks ago, long before ever reopening, as did The Loose Canon next door. It's no wonder, though. The worst kept secret after Jimmy Buffet's studio location, is that rent on the 200 Block of Duval runs between $38,000 - $50,000 per month! That's insanity!!!!

Lets call ace's, aces. If anyone signs a contract like that, they're going to lose their ass.

Rick's IS open!

On the flip side, places are opening and people are coming down!

TROPICAL MUSIC IN PARADISE – OCTOBER 28 (or so) – NOVEMBER 1ST.

I just made up that name for a music festival that isn't, but is, and because it isn't, it doesn't have a name, but I have to call it something... you following me so far? So, what we have is a festival that is flying under the radar.

Okay, so....

The original festival was MOTM, run at the Casa Marina, however, the group that organizes that fest, PHIP, canceled it for this year. Every year there are events all over town that are completely independent of the organized event, yet an indirect off-shoot of the Casa event

Well, when PHIP canceled the event, both fans and musicians suddenly said “Hey! Wait a minute! I still want to go to Key West!”. It was funny, I had a message from my friend Frances in Los Angeles saying “MOTM is canceled, but I'm coming anyway!”. That was how I learned it was canceled and she only got the message from PHIP moments before. That great Conch tradition that goes back to the 1910's, The Coconut Telegraph, today goes all the way to Los Angeles!!!

So, what's happening are musicians and music lovers will be arriving in Key West at the end of October to participate in a music festival that isn't an official music festival in Key West.

Usually MOTM draws about 7000 all tolled. This year, The Key West Songwriters Festival canceled, so Key West lost their biggest musical event of the year. That's about 40,000+ attendance.

We'll see how things go. I spoke with Conch Republic Seafood, a regular venue for us at MOTM one to four times a month year round and they told me at this point they weren't booking anything for that week. Additionally, places such as Blue Heaven haven't even opened up yet, so there's no one to even talk to. On the flip side, Brian Fields and Danny Lynn's event at The Tiki House, Tiki Man Radio's Songwriter's Showcase- Key West Bound, is a solid go!

I'll keep you posted on developments.

THE AFTER PARTY!

"I've never met a group of more interesting people since I've been in Key West"

Author Rusty Hogdgon after attending his first Dani and Chris' After Party

Like the saying here goes, dumbbells leave Key West on Sunday (it's insane traffic and the airport can be chaos ), average intelligence folks leave Monday, and geniuses leave Tuesday, … The Albert Einstein's leave Wednesday.

For the last five years, Dani and I have been having “The Dani and Chris Annual After Party” at our house. This party has reputation for being A BLAST, for good reason... Because...IT IS!!!

This year will be no exception!

A funny thing happened at a couple of parties. One year this guy who played a great harmonica, swung by the party on his bike. He stopped at the edge of the driveway and I greeted him. He asks “Where's the people playing?”... Last year a musician friend stopped by and asked “There's no one playing any music?”

The answer to both was the same “Nope”.

The harmonica player, turned around and rode off, never to be seen again. The second guy stayed and had a great time!

Particularly with musicians, at events like this we don't get to talk to each other. We're the proverbial ships passing, in this case, at the gig. It's “Hi! How are you? See you later I have to set up!”

At The Dani and Chris After Party the opportunity presents itself to hang out and have fun with each other over 5 or 6 hours.

John Patti with... Rod Stewart 😜

Sunshine Deb Miller and hostess fabulosa, Dani Hoy

Author Rusty Hodgdon

The Sausage Mob

The Kitchen Gang

Diana, Pablo, and Pat (The DPP)

Two Brothers From A Different Mother
Ed and Danny!

On the menu we will definitely supply home made salsa and chips, while the BBQ will be rockin' with Florida Keys chicken and pork, Cuban black beans and rice... and hopefully Steve Craigo will do his fabulous grilled sausage! Feel welcome to bring anything!

Real men drink Guinness - Boomer Blake

Tooloulou and Cajun Rehm - The Canine Hosts

Be advised: The Shanty Hounds motto/creed applies:

“IF YOU'RE NOT HAVING FUN I'M AFRAID WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ASK YOU TO LEAVE”

Monday, November 2^nd, 5 pm on 130 C Peary Ct. Key West, Fl. 22040 (White Street entrance only!!!! Eaton St. entrance does not connect with our section)

Additionally, we'll have updates at our Happy Hour on my Facebook page, which airs between two and four times a week at 5... or 5:12, sometimes 5:46, yet others at 6:12... 😜

https://www.facebook.com/ChrisRehm09

Thank you for reading my Blog! Please check out my book "Time Traveler - The Oddities and Adventures of a Key West Bartender". Follow Mark Straight's continuing journey and friendships from current Key West, back to historical Key West and elsewhere!

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