The End Of The Line – Key West

Key West. You just can’t go any further. The road stops at Mile Zero. Or, it may start there, if you prefer? But to so many living here, like myself who moved here from elsewhere, it ends. After Key West, you’re on a boat, or a plane to another country. The car has finished it’s run.

Because of this, there is a wide assortment of individuals who come here. Of course you have the noteworthy artist who have landed here over the years. Ernest Hemingway did so in 1928 and to this day his home is a nucleus of Hemingwayphiles, literary laureates, and tourists in general. Additionally, the Tennessee Williams found a home here, as did Jimmy Buffett, who actually, unlike the two aforementioned authors, actually made his fortune partially because he actually came from here.

However, in a place that is considered the furthest outpost, it also draws additional sorts. In 1980, the first of the current series of new, much safer bridges were constructed off of Bahia Honda. This lead to a much greater accessibility for the masses, when the entire archipelago of islands were connected with these bridges allowing everyone to come down.

Who has the frame of mind to head the Southernmost outpost? There are many, all of which are interesting and unique, however, today we’ll look at one sort, which does stand out and is prominent. We’ll just call them “Runners” for this blurb. Yes, they may fall into one of several different social categories, however, they all have one thing in common when they land in Key West: They’re running away from something.

The vast majority of these Runners arrive alone, They’re, for the most part not attached to a lover or a friend, though, of the Runners, perhaps between 5 and maybe 10 percent are traveling with, what can be best described as a “Shotgun Partner” or even a “Wing Man”. By the numbers, you can see however, it’s not common. Mostly they are alone.

Why they are referred to as Runners is that there is something in their past that they are running away from. In most cases this starts out as a secret, known only to them. A couple of hints you might come across could be “Oh! No! Don’t take my picture!!!” or “What? You’re putting my picture on the Internet? Oh… you have to call me Beelzebub Bud, Don’t use my real name!!!” “What? You’re traveling back to my home city? Hey, No! You don’t know me! Never heard of me!”

I could go on for centuries on the walks of life these people come from or the things they’re running from, or the crazy situations they’ve gotten themselves into, both plain old screwy, or criminal, but they all have something in common: They’ve run away from something and have gone as far as they could go: The End Of The Line, Key West.

Live Music - Key West

One of the greatest things about living in Key West is the live music!!! Bars such as The Green Parrot, Hog's Breath Saloon, Schooner Wharf, Margaritaville, Cowboy Bill's, Finnigan's Wake, and Sloppy Joe's are constantly bringing in bands from around the country. We're talking national acts here. Then, there's the local performers, who are of such a high caliber that the bar is just about as high as it can go. These folks can also be found at the aforementioned, plus there's Captain Tony's Saloon, Island Dogs, Rick's, El Alamo, The Bull, The Lazy Gecko.... ex.

As far as venues go, there are a myriad. All over town live music is playing. All along the tourist main drag of Duval establishment after establishment has live performers.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about this is that none of this costs you one cent to enjoy! Door cover charge? Are you kidding? In Key West? They'd go out of business in a week! In Key West, you just walk through the door, grab a beer and enjoy and have fun!

Key west also has a slew of streaming web cams broadcasting live!

Enjoy!

Cold ... still

In short, this last week, with the exception of Thursday, was "Bite your ass" cold in Key West! This morning, Sunday, January 10th it was 46 degrees when I took my dogs for a walk at 9am! As I've stated before, this is not in my contract! A kid on a bike passed me singing a song that went "You gotta freeze to breath..." We're looking at a high of 53 today. Uuuggghh. Around the end of the week we're back to normal however, but this has certainly been a cold year thus far!

Last evening I didn't feel like cooking, as everything was frozen. So I started to think where I could grab a bite to eat. Around the corner is The Bottle Cap Lounge, however, I was up for something more quiet.I started thinking of places I could go and then, on this cold evening, I thought of the perfect place, Finnigan's Wake. An Irish pub named after the James Joyce story about Tim Finnigan who supposedly died, but woke up at his wake when someone knocked over the whiskey on him. Perfect! So I hopped on the bike and off I went to Finnigan's Wake. When I got there they had an Irish woman playing guitar and singing like a canary. Fiona Molloy was her name and she had a great command of the bar ant the undivided attention of it's patrons. Just what the doctor ordered! I ordered a Murphy's Stout on "Draught", to utilize the Irish and Commonwealth spelling of the word we spell "Draft".

I love all of the Irish Stouts. Beamish, Murphy's, and of course, Guinness. Murphy's is from my maternal grandparent's home county of Cork, so it has a melancholy attachment for me, when available. Both of my mother's parents were off the boat from County Cork in Ireland, Connolly and Flynn being the family names of my grandfather and grandmother.

A marvelous evening was had with Ms. Molloy playing all sorts of Irish and American, songs, plus a song from Newfoundland, as well as Germany (Lilly Marlene!!!... in German, French, and English!). One Irish song she brought up fans to sing verses she fed them about a woman who sits and fits... needless to say it ended up on the boarder of profane with the entire pub laughing their butts off! Ms. Malloy finished off her evening with "God Bless America" and there really wasn't a dry eye in the house. Thank you Fiona Molloy!!!!

The ride home was bitterly cold with a temperature of 49 around midnight or so, but with a belly full of beef and potatoes and stout and a heart resonating from a great performance, who could complain?

A real mind scramble also happened this week! Tim Garrity, my friend from all the way back, calls me and asks if I got the package he sent. Make a long story short, it was in my mailbox.Back when we were nineteen or so.. this wasn't last week... Tim was in the Navy and asked me to send him his guitar to San Diego. I bought him a strap to go with it... kinda cool in that it had a pouch for picks in it! So I sent that along with it.

Well, the package Tim sent was the strap I sent him 30+ years ago, as my dogs ate one of my straps recently!!! Holy Smokes!!! I truly was at a complete loss for words. It certainly warmed me up a good deal!

The week is supposed to climb gradually in temps and by Thursday we should be back to normal.

Bobby DeVito is sick, so unfortunately there will be no Sunday Afternoon Blues at Captain Tony's. Get well Bobby!!!!!

Ms. Sheila Sharkey Griffith was kind enough to invite me to go and play on the Trop Rock Cruise "Puerto Los Somewhere Cruise", leaving out of Tampa this week! Wow! Nice! Regretfully, I had to decline because of my own scheduling however. Big Bummer! Nevertheless, Thanks Sheila!!!!

However, hopefully with warmer weather heading this way and more, next weekend holds a lot of promise of great things to come!

All The Best From Key West!!!

Chris

Cold, Stolen Flag, Jesus Freaks, Hare Krishnas, Chinese, Indians, Euros, and Brits

Okay! Christmas, New Years, and Birthday are all out of the way, so now it’s off and running to the next break… is there a break? I don’t think so. If you’re not doing something in this town, you’re looking for something to do.

One thing we have to keep in focus is to try not to allow life to get in the way of doing the things we want. No. It’s not always in our control, however we at least have to make a sincere effort and not just go through the motions.

The New Year here started off with a cold front that staying with us for a bit. Low 60’s during the day and low 50’s at night. This will continue to the end of the week, where the long range says we’ll hit 70 on Friday, but plummet back down to what we have currently and continue for another three days after that.

This is not in my contract!

I’m currently wearing long pants and a jacket. I much prefer shorts and a T shirt, frankly!

I took the dogs out this morning and found that someone stole my Conch Republic flag that I had outside my door. I’m not sure if I’ve been complemented or violated?
Here’s a picture of it with my friend Tim, who orchestrated the entire flag/outside set up outside my place when he was down in November.



If anyone sees the flag, you have my permission to steal it and send it back home.

:-D

Way, way back when I first moved to Miami, I would see these people walking south on U.S. 1 dressed in biblical garb. They looked as though they belonged in the movie Moses, or a movie about Jesus Christ. Long, white robes, sandals, and a small bag to carry their worldly possessions. They looked like Christ, Moses, or Mother Mary in their hair, be it facial with the men, and or otherwise. This was some kind of a Jesus cult, it turned out and the reason they were heading south on U.S. 1 was…. You guessed it. They were heading to Key West. This pilgrimage went on for maybe three years, to my recollection. However, after that I never saw them again. Until last week, that is, when I saw a group of them… thirty years down the pike, mind you, walking up Duval St! Huh?

More on this fascinating story as it develops.

Come to think of it, Hummm. Been a while since I saw Hare Krishnas as well. They were the bane of so many in airports for years. Well, fear not. Just tonight we had three marching Duval in their robes, one playing a percussion drum-type instrument from India (where else?), while another played a sort of tambourine with the cymbals ringing away, while yet a third lead them up and down Duval singing…. Hare Krishna , of course!

No one can really explain another phenomenon that is happening, this time in the tourist industry in Key West. The percentage of guests from China and India has skyrocketed since last year! This blogger’s guess is for every individual guest from China, or India last year, there are between forty and sixty this year. Not sure how this will effect the local economy. The motels, and guest houses I imagine will be full, so for them it’s a good thing, providing my hypothesis on where they are staying is correct in the first place. However, Key West’s largest commodity is found in the bars and these guests are not setting foot in them. I can say that in the gallery that’s my daily gig, nothing whatsoever has been shipped to India or China. Could the dwindling dollar have something to do with it?

The Europeans are as strong as ever, as are our guests from the British Isles, fortunately! They of course, march excitedly into all of the tourist attractions and bars, adding their converted Euros and Pounds to the local economy. This is what Key West needs to survive.

The Conch Republic depends on the tourist industry, much to the chagrin of Papa Hemingway’s opinion, back in the day. However, it is what it is.

The Blue Heaven

Well, things change, don't they? Last year I went to several events at The Blue Heaven Restaurant here in Key West and they were nothing short of stellar events in a fantastic surrounding! The Blue Heaven, of course is like no place on the island whatsoever! It goes so far back that Ernest Hemingway used to go there and referee boxing matches held in the '30's. Up stairs there is a bar that was a bordello, back in the day, with three very small rooms off of it, just large enough to do the deed in. Outside, where today just about everything takes place, is a sand floor with a water tower that used to be part of Flagler's Railroad, above the outside bar. Did I forget the two stages?

Well, the last event I attended last year was the New Years bash they had. The place was packed and everyone was full of cheer and good tidings, The atmosphere was second to none.

Naturally, I was very much looking forward to this years New Years there as well!

My mode of transportation in Key West is bicycle, unless I'm taking the dogs to the park or going shopping, where the car is more practical. New Years Eve was no different. Blue Heaven is only about three or four blocks from home, so I arrived in no time. I was kind of surprised when I pulled up to the bike rack and there was plenty of space to "tie up" on Thomas St.

I went inside and to my additional surprise, the place was almost empty! Half the stools at the bar were available as well. I moseyed on up to the bar and ordered a Stella Artois from Alanda, who was holding court behind the bar. Mary Spear was just finishing up her set on stage with Cayman on percussion and a guitarist whom I didn't know. That was just before ten pm.

I met a nice family from Detroit there, Denise and Rocky. She and I share the same birthday, it turned out, so it was an instant bond for us. We had fun as I plowed down Pilsner Urquells, which followed the Stella.

I was in the men's room when the clock struck the hour of the decade! Fitting. What a relief that was! "Out with the old and in with the new!!!" I hollered and I made my way out of the men's room and headed back to the bar, ordering, yet another Pilsner Urquell.

Shortly after that, The Junkanoos of Key West came marching into the Blue Heaven in their complete regalia and the cacophony of marvelous sound which accompanies them! They stayed about ten minutes, or so, before heading off to their next destination.

A little after that I left. I was a bit bewildered at the lack of people there since last year. The owner has purchased another restaurant in town, Salute, over on Higgs Beach. Naturally, he's focusing his energy on getting that place off the ground, however, I think they may be doing it at the expense of The Blue Heaven.

Year End Key West Gratitude

A great afternoon with the Offending Culprits at Captain Tony's indeed!!!! As it is the end of the year, it's time to take inventory and say Thank You to all those who contributed to the progress of music in my life this last year.

First off, I must extend a very much heart felt thanks to Bobby DeVito, who, although is the founding charter member of The Offending Culprits, is also a very much respected solo performer(and a whole mess more too!!!) in his own right. It is Bobby's solo gig at Captain Tony's that he has donated to the cause of The Offending Culprits every Sunday afternoon since October. Bobby's become a very cherished friend indeed in 2009, along with his wonderful bride, Susie! Big, Big Thanks to Bobby & Susie DeVito!!!

Also, a very big thank you to Anita Glenn Pierce, of Captain Tony's who thought up the whole idea of having Sunday Afternoon Blues at Captain Tony's in the first place! Thanks Anita! If anyone is at Captain Tony's, be sure to stop by the clothing and apparel counter and say hello to Anita!

Also, every Sunday we have Partick McCarney, who is The Judge, holding court behind the bar. Partick's always as professional as you could ever ask of a bartender! Always a greeting by name, shakes your hand, and remembers what you're drinking. It's high time I get Patrick a drink! Thank you Partick!!!

How can I forget Al The Bouncer? Al doubles as our camera man. Al claims he doesn't know what he's doing on camera, however, he's really done a veteran's job, overflowing with creativity left and right completely capturing, not only the song, but more importantly, the feel, atmosphere, and the humor of the gig and Captain Tony's Saloon itself.

Bruce Turkel. Wow! I've been playing with Bruce since, I think 1997... Back then we played acoustic, as we do here, plus we also co-founded The Rabble Rousers, a seven piece electric Blues Band up in Miami in 2001. Bruce has made it down to two shows so far with The Offending Culprits and each has been special indeed! After the first gig Bobby kept saying "We've GOT to get Bruce down again!" It's always a treat when Mr. Turkel is in town indeed!

Lastly, I must extend my gratitude to Gary Ek. Gary doesn't make it to all that many gigs of ours, however, when I was heading back to Miami from Georgia and got him on the phone to let him know and he said "Miami? Well why don't you come back to Key West, it's right on the way?"Gary also put me up for almost three weeks and frankly, without his overly generous hospitality, I may not have made it back to my island home at all. Gary may be a madman, but he does have a heart of gold!

2010 will be here at the end of the week and I'm very excited about what lies in store for me musically. The Offending Culprits have hit the road running fast, I'm hoping to also finish my solo album, tentatively titled "Shanghai'd And Marooned In Key West" over at Dan Simpson's Private Ear Studio. New songs are underway as well, plus, the groundwork has already been laid to do some co-writing with a wonderful songwriter out of Nashville, Monica Perry. We have come up with a revolutionary method for co-writing music so far apart as well, which should be both quite fun and interesting.

Additional chapters of my book, Bar Stories will no doubt be added, plus hopefully I'll get things rolling on the screenplay to "The Hemingway Heist", a movie idea dreamed up by my friend George Cornejo and myself over a year and a half ago. Got to get that baby off the ground too!

How can I forget my two Whippets, Cajun and Tooloulou? Cajun and Tooloulou, sixteen months, happily tear my house to shreds while I'm not home. They also secretly chew my sneakers when I'm not looking and make me drop what I'm doing in order to take them out. It was in a telephone conversation with Bobby D. with me harping on how they destroyed something, that I said "The offending culprits are now cowering in the bedroom!" when Bobby said "That's It!!!". I didn't get it right away. "That's what?" I inquired, to which Bobby explained "That's the name we'll go by, The Offending Culprits!!! We're named after the Whippets HA HA HA!" and so it was. Cajun and Tooloulou also keep me laughing, day in, day out. What more could I ask?

2010? Bring it on, I'm ready!!!!

Who's The Boss, Anyway?

Back in the mid-nighties I played in a duo with my friend Rob Hardwicke called "Partners In Crime". Partners In Crime played in both Key Largo and in the Kendall section of Miami. We were a small bar type set up. In Key Largo we played Friday nights at a place which was then named "Kenny's". We'd play and pack the place solid with a crowd that was laughing and backslapping their night away. This was a local crowd. Salt of the earth people who meant what they said and said what they mean... well, most of the time. Never saw a fight or anything like that, but folks would start to enter there after work... about 4pm and we'd start at 6 and go to 11. It was a great place to play and the owners, Del and Domingo, a father and son combo, were just superb guys all around.

We also played at a place in Kendall, just off of Sunset and 107th named "Kelly's", I guess we had something for bars that started with the letter "K" HA HA!

Anyway, Kelly's was a small bar as well and usually had between 4 and 10 women in there on a Saturday night. This was a bar which classified itself as a "Gay Friendly" bar. There was always a few men with their wives or girlfriends there as well. The woman who owned it was great! She was a riot when she was there, which wasn't too often regretfully. I had a friend, Brenda, who was one of the regulars there and she ended up getting us the gig there.

We came in with our friend Bruce Turkel playing harmonica and we stuffed the place to the gills. Instead of 4 to 10 people in there on a Saturday evening, we had about 60. Standing room only and two deep at the bar. Everyone was ordering food as well. They added additional folks to help out it was so busy.

This went on for about three months and one day a friend overheard the bartender say "I'm getting tired of hearing these guys music every Saturday. I wish it could be like before, when it was not so damn busy." The following week we were told that they didn't want music anymore. I felt like Claude Raines in Casablanca when the Nazi General told him to close Rick's Cafe "But everyone is having such a good time!" the words bubbled out of my lips.

I waited three weeks before stopping back to touch base. It was a Saturday night about 9 and there were three people there. The bartender was there and when I enquired about if they wanted music back, she only said "No, I don't think so".

Later I bumped into the owner. "You know? We did so well when you guys played there!" So I asked her about coming back and she hearkened back to the bartender, saying she was tired of our music and the crowd.

At which point, I said to her "Hey, she's not the boss, she's the bartender. I'm not the boss, I'm the entertainment. You know what else? Not even you are the boss, and you're the owner!"

She looked a bit bewildered at me, as I pretty much mentioned all of the people involved in the place.

I smiled and said to her "Flo, not you, me, or your bartender is the boss. The boss in your bar, or any bar, is the cash register and the more it's singing it's song, the happier it, and everyone else will be! When the cash register is chinging, it doesn't matter what any employee's personal taste in music is, or if they're tired of hearing the same group, week after week or day after day. Micro-management doesn't work here, especially if it's guided by an employee's personal taste. What only matters is the song the cash register is singing"

Always remember: The cash register is the boss of every bar.