ILL HEALTH, HELICOPTER RIDE, KEYS OFF KEY WEST, THE BAR CARD, AND A SONG TAKING OFF!

^listen to Misty Loggins singing Island Blue while you read the blog!^

ILL HEALTH, HELICOPTER RIDE, KEYS OFF KEY WEST, THE BAR CARD, AND A SONG TAKING OFF!

Hey everyone! Been away from the blog for February, so I apologize! I had a fun helicopter ride to Miami and a day and a half stay at the hospital. Regretfully, they didn’t stay to fly me home, but my friend George Ardito drove me from Miami Beach to the Caribbean Club in Key Largo, where my friend Cindi Hogan picked me up and drove me to her and her husband Rick’s place in Cudjoe Key. I spent the rest of the weekend there with the two of them and a pack of dogs, which now also compromised of Cajun and Tooloulou, whom Cindi took care of while I was away. Big thank you to them for that and also to my friend Nina Locardi, who drove up from Key Large (100 miles) to rescue them and bring them to Cindi and Rick’s.

It was a good opportunity to get out of Key West and see some of the other Keys. A funny thing about the keys is that if you’re only five miles from Mile Zero, on Stock Island, or 107 miles up at Gilbert’s Resort in Key Largo, if you’re going “into town”, you’re going to Key West. Mind you, there are towns in the Keys, such as, Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Sugarloaf… ex., However, while there are these towns which are indeed incorporated towns, none have a “town”, per say. Yes, they have a stretch of commerce along Overseas Highway, but no real downtown areas.
Key West is the downtown of the Keys. Having said that, getting off of Key West and getting to some of the other Keys, is a true pleasure. For Conch Republic residents, Key West is the hustle and bustle. Get out of Key West and it’s the true definition of the term “Laid Back”. In Key West, everybody’s doing something. Going to the Southernmost Point, Bar Hopping, taking a Conch Train or a Trolley tour, sightseeing.. ex.

On the other Keys it’s just … quiet, peaceful, and tranquil. When Cindi stopped at the Caribbean Club to pick me up, I had been there for a few hours. Just hanging out I got to see the flock of wild parrots, Conyers I believe them to be, that stop by late in the afternoon. I gazed out at the dock, where generations of docks ago, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Becall became friendly while filming the movie “Key Largo”. The dock sits in Blackwater Sound, where you will see the most outstanding sunsets.

Waking up the next morning in Cudjoe was a different world from Key West. There was not a sound around. The dock was peaceful and the water of Cudjoe Bay was tranquil. I couldn’t help but admire life off of Key West in the Keys. The thought of organizing a bus tour of the Keys came back into my brain. It’s one I’ve had before. A tour that would take a group of folks up the Keys from Key Largo to Key West, stopping at maybe two or three stops along the way, for an overnight stay, live music, good food, and a great time. It seriously would be worth it!

Michelle Dougan and Larry Poff stopped by Cindi and Rick’s on Saturday evening and Rick had a bonfire party! A fantastic dinner was cooked by Rick and Michelle cut my hair… which was way overdue. Later, I fell asleep and Cindi dressed me up in scallop shell bra, a silly cowboy hat and a shamrock on my crotch..and took a picture.. naturally! Who wouldn’t? HA HA HA!

On the music front, I’m thrilled to announce that my single “Island Blue”, sung by the marvelous Misty Loggins, hit #1 for the week last week at Island Dreamz, up in NewYork!!!! What a thrill! Thanks to all of the listeners there and Big Ed!

http://radiojimmydreamz.com/

Additionally, the song is getting lots of air time with Trop Rock 1290 up in the Florida Panhandle. A Big thanks to them and Steven Youngblood.

http://www.troprock1290.com/TROPROCK%20HOME.html

Island Time Radio, up in northern Ohio has likewise had it on their play list.. Thanks to Dennis King (DK) and Amo Bennet!

Radio Gruenstadt, in Gruenstadt, Germany is also it! :-O

And finally, Beachfront Radio has also been airing it as well! Being as the song will be on the next CD of mine, “All the Best from Key West” and that’s a bit off time wise, we’re making the song available on Beachfront’s music hut shortly. It will be originally either as a single at $.99 or together with “Shanghai’d and Marooned in Key West (Things Could Be Worse)”. Thanks Jeff and Captain Cali!

http://beachfrontradio.com/home.cfm

By the way, that's Misty on the cover shot for the blog, up top!

Life is good and getting better!

KEY WEST BAR CARD
Anyone traveling to Key West specifically should really look into the Key West Bar Card and the Key West Restaurant Card. The Bar card cost is $20 and will give you buy one drink get the second one free at a rate of one use per hour. With that in mind, the card will pay for itself in the first day at the rate people in Key West drink! There are eleven bars that participate in the program:
Schooner Wharf, Blue Mojito@ Hyatt Resort, 801 Bourbon Bar, The Bottlecap and Groove Lounge, The Stoned Crab, JDL’s Big Ten Pub, Pearl’s Patio, The Rooftop Café, Aqua, Sweet Tea’s, and McConnell’s. This is good for the card holder only, so if you are traveling with friends, they have to likewise get their own card. The Key West Bar Card runs from January 1st 2012 to December 31st, 2012.

KEY WEST RESTAURANT CARD
The Key West Restaurant Card works along a similar idea, however the execution is a bit different on both ends. The Restaurant Card will give you 10% off your meal and will set you back $10, which covers you from January 1st, 2012 to December 31st, 2012. Participating Restaurants are: Hogfish Bar & Grill, Santiago’s Bodega, The Roof Top Café, Mangia Mangia, Harbourview Café at the Pierhouse, Camille’s, JDL’s Big Ten Pub, The Creperie, Flaming Bouy Filet Co., The Stoned Crab, Bobalu’s, D.J.’s Clam Shack, and Croisants de France.

The Website below will tell you the many places the cards can be obtained.

http://www.keywestbarcard.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Key-West-Bar-Card/226113043337

Living In The Conch Republic/Jerk Chicken/Scott Kirby

< listen to “Liveaboard” while you read the blog! >

Living in The Conch Republic

How many times have I crossed the imaginary line driving down U.S.1 passing The Last Chance Saloon in Florida City and hence, entering the Conch Republic? Likewise, taking the left there and heading the Card Sound Road route? Either way, at that point going straight on US1 or going left onto Card Sound Rd., you’ve entered the Conch Republic. Having lived about fifteen miles north of there for so many years, I can attest, as will anyone else who’s done the same thing, when you cross that line, things take a noticeable change. Suddenly a weight comes off your shoulders and you find yourself exhaling. The grind is over and you have arrived in The Conch Republic. The Conch Republic is a country unto itself, make no mistake about it. From the very first settlers here to today, you’ll hear people throughout the Keys say “Oh, I have to go up to Florida”. It’s not necessarily Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Naples, Ft. Meyers, Punta Gorda, Palm Beach,… ex. They say they have to go to Florida because in their minds, the Keys are NOT Florida. The Keys are “The Keys” or “The Conch Republic” . The Keys are a completely different state of mind and a completely different state of being. How many times have I mentioned to someone visiting “You know? This isn’t the U.S.”? And how many times have I seen their eyes light up and a big smile cross their face and their reply is “You’re Right!” in complete enlightenment? I’ll tell you, every time! Another anecdote I’ll say to people regarding my move from Florida to the Conch Republic capitol is “You know, I only moved one hundred and thirty eight miles, but it might as well have been one hundred and thirty eight thousand miles”. That’s no exaggeration whatsoever.

The beauty of the Keys is that, on the one hand, you’re in an entirely different country, yet you’re still within the United States. Down here in the Keys, we’re very proud of the United States military personnel stationed here, and we have all branches of the service. The Navy and the Coast Guard have the highest presence, however the Army’s Green Berets train here, as well and every branch of the service are represented at NAS Station in the Truman annex.

A funny thing about the Conch Republic is that those who leave, be it going back home from vacation, or having moved from here and relocated someplace else… up in the United States ;-) they all want to return. It’s a different state of mind. As I said, I only lived fifteen miles from the boarder and it was a beautiful area, bear in mind, but it was a world of difference. Cross that line at the Last Chance Saloon.. and it’s “WOW!!!” The weight’s gone off your shoulders. The Conch Republic stretches from The Last Chance Saloon about 200 miles to The Dry Tortugas. All but the first eighteen miles are islands, the Atlantic Ocean, and The Gulf of Mexico/Florida Bay and the Florida Straits.

In a strange, quirky, albeit remote way we could be kind of like Monaco and France? Monaco is its own country, however if attacked it is considered part of France. I think it could only behoove the U.S. to have the Conch Republic in some ways a sovereign state, yet at the same time still attached to the U.S. as it currently is. In areas such as foreign relations go, it might be a good, optional card to have up Washington D.C.’s sleeve. Besides, maybe we could get the $1B dollars in aid we never got at the end of the insurrection :-)

No Todo, this isn’t Florida, or the United States. Welcome to the Conch Republic!



KEY WEST GASTROMINY – Jamaican Jerk Chicken/What is, What Isn't

Two of my absolute favorite bar/restaurants in Key West are Schooner Wharf and The Hogfish, which is actually on Stock Island.. but still 33040. Both of these establishments sit dockside, Schooner Wharf in Key West Bight and the Hogfish at Safe Harbor Marina. Both have good menus and the Hogfish gets the nod for the better cuisine by about a point. The fish comes right off the boats, right there. It’s always a pleasure going to either, both having an atmosphere that is tough to equal.
The funny thing about both of these good restaurants is, as good as they are, neither of them have the slightest clue whatsoever on how to make Jamaican Jerk Chicken! Both have it on their menu; however I’m not really sure what they serve, not that it’s bad tasting, but it’s not jerk chicken!

To begin with, the absolute most important ingredient in Jerk is the Scotch Bonnet pepper, which is a sister pepper to the Habanero, albeit with a more aromatic flavor and similar heat rating. No trace whatsoever can be found in their Jerk. Second, Jerk is a paste made with the Scotch Bonnets, onions, allspice, garlic, pepper, salt, thyme, herbs, and pimiento. What they have is some kind of a liquid that, although it doesn’t taste bad, it has nothing whatsoever to do with Jerk seasoning. Both restaurants jerk taste similar to one another and it’s my guess that some restaurant supply company is selling them this stuff and blowing smoke up their tails with the hum that ”This is Jerk seasoning”. It’s not even close.

So, while I strongly suggest going to both of these superb establishments, if you’re contemplating the Jerk Chicken, avoid it. The rest of their menus are superb for a dockside bar/restaurant, and both have a great staff as well.

Who does make a real Jerk Chicken in Key West? Well, Blue Heaven has for years! Theirs tends to be a bit milder than I would prefer myself, however they’re not looking to have some inexperienced customer burst into flames, then follow it up with farting like a flame thrower at the table. On a scale of one to ten, I’d put it as an eight. Although on the mild side, it does have a very nice flavor.

Bobalu’s, next to the Green Parrot on Southard St., has what has to be the best Jerk Chicken in town. Not fire breathing dragon hot, but zippy and a great flavor. They serve theirs as a sandwich. Fantastic! On the scale of one to ten, it’s a nine. You can’t go wrong with their jerk!

Hat’s off to Bobalu’s for the best Jerk in town!

For a superb Jerk seasoning check out Grace’s!

http://www.gracefoods.com/index.php/sauces-and-condiments/grace-jerk-seasoning-hot-a-spicy-detail

If I ever should open a restaurant in town, my jerk will be a ten. I’m not taking any prisoners. Fresh, homemade Jerk, with a fabulous flavor, and hot as hell. Yah Mon!



Scott Kirby

Stopped by Smokin’ Tuna yesterday afternoon and caught Scott Kirby doing a set there. What a pleasure. Scott is an amazing acoustic guitar player, on top of being a fantastic singer and songwriter as well. Scott has been based in Key West since 1988 and has six albums out, the latest being “Row Me Home”, which was produced by Russ Kunkel. If you’re into great, laid back acoustic based music with a sailor’s perspective, Scott’s music is something that you’ll happily grow old with. What’s not to like? For more info on Scott, check out his site and his tour dates to find out when he’s in your neck of the woods.

http://www.scottkirby.com/

DOGS IN BARS - KEY WEST

Life on My Terms by Key West Chris Rehm
< listen to “Life On My Terms” while you enjoy the Blog! This song has never been released at this point. I wrote it for my cousin Joe “JoCo”or “Jombo” Connolly when he passed a few years back. It’s an up beat song ‘cause that’s how Joe was! That’s him at the very end of the song too!>


Dog Friendly Bars

It’s funny, in a strange sort of way and has happened more than once. European visitors will stop me when I’m walking my dogs and express astonishment that dogs are not allowed in restaurants in Key West. “Everywhere you go in Europe, you’ll find dogs with their families in restaurants. Why not here?”

Welcome to the United States way of life: Lawsuits. The most recent being about a year and a half ago at Turtle Kraals, where a woman tripped over a dog and sued the establishment for $18,000.00. For the next six months no establishments allowed dogs in. After that it was decreed that dogs could be allowed in open air restaurants, as well as any bar that doesn’t serve food. This would be at the option of the bar or restaurant’s management. For instance, The Green Parrot is a bar that does not serve food, however because of a dog fight in there several years ago; the management does not allow dogs.

I also run into people who left their dogs at home and stop me for their doggie fix when they see my Whippets, Cajun and Tooloulou. Tourists do tell me that a lot of the B&Bs as well as hotels are dog friendly. I rely on them for this info as I don’t stay in them and have very little contact with them as a result.

Restaurants and bars, are not so much, regretfully. Following are some of the bars and restaurants that do allow dogs. However, what I’ve done here, was get the real experts on the subject, rather than use my own judgment, when rating the various dog friendly establishments. Therefor I’ve set up a panel of experts to assist me with the Blog this week. I’m certain no one will mind if I call out for a bit of help on this one.




SCHOONER WHARF: Schooner Wharf is a bar and outside restaurant that has a large reputation on allowing canines, to the point that it’s on many of their t-shirts! Key West legend Michael McCloud often plays with his dog, Cinderella, sitting righ on stage, in his guitar case! When the lawsuit had every bar including Schooner Wharf closed to dogs, Mike had his dog registered as a service dog. That took care of everything as far as Cinderella went! Covered seating and outside seating. Live music all day long starting at noon.

Cajun and Tooloulou Rating: 10

BLUE HEAVEN: Blue Heaven also allows dogs. I’ll often go there at night and have a beer under the water tower bar, having walked there from home with Cajun and Tooloulou. They love hanging out in the sand there. Outside seating and live musicmost of the time.

Cajun and Tooloulou rating: 8

MCCONNELL’s: McConnell’s Irish bar at 900 Duval has both an inside and outside patio. Owner Jerry McConnell loves dogs and beams from ear to ear when he sees one. Great staff and atmosphere! Perhaps the finest pint of Guinness in Key West is drawn here as well.

Cajun and Tooloulou rating: 10

TATOOS & SCARS: Tattoo & Scars bar is on Greene St. just a few doors down from Sloppy Joe’s. It’s owned by Cowboy Bill. I was in there a couple of times with the hounds. Inside seating.

Cajun and Tooloulou Rating: 8

SMOKIN TUNA: Smokin Tuna may be a bit hidden on Charles Street, directly across from Irish Kevin’s, but it’s a great stop for dogs. Like Blue Heaven, the floor is sand. Great live music too. Outside seating.

Cajun and Tooloulou Rating: 9

THE PORCH: The porch has been open a year and a half and is very dog friendly. Here is a beautiful setting in the Porter Mansion (circa 1842 or so) and an extremely wide selection of craft beers and a great, knowledgeable staff. Inside and outside seating.

Cajun and Tooloulou Rating: 10

THE CORK AND STOGIE: The Cork and Stogie is not a bar or a restaurant, however it does contain a beer and wine bar within. Very dog friendly Mom and Pop establishment with Dave and Leslie. The Cork and Stogie always has a great atmosphere and always a friendly crowd. Inside and outside seating, dogs welcome outside.

Cajun and Tooloulou Rating: 10

KEY WEST BAIT AND TACKLE: Key West Bait and Tackle also is not a bar or restaurant, per say, however it does have a bar in it that serves beer and wine. Inside and outside seating and salt of the earth, as you expect from a bait and tackle shop. Dogs welcome outside. The dogs love it and often in the season you’ll find artist Durf burning his craft. Dogs welcome for outside seating.

Cajun and Tooloulou Rating: 10

CAPTAIN TONY’S SALOON: A true Key West classic, Captain Tony’s is a bit of a split decision on dogs as they are permitted in until 7pm. However, after seven, no dogs. Inside seating and live music. Because of the 7pm rule…

Cajun and Tooloulou Rating: 7 (what else could it be?)

LOUIE’S BACK YARD: Louie’s Back Yard’s Afterdeck allows dogs until five pm. Additionally, it’s located directly next to Dog Beach. With an early curfew on the canines, my pooches were inclined to give the cut off time as their rating, as they did with Captain Tony’s. However, with the location right next to Dog Beach and a marvelous view to boot, the rating was charged up a couple of notches!

Cajun & Tooloulou rating: 7

THE RUM BAR: Perhaps the smallest indoor bar on the list, located in the base of the Speakeasy Hotel on the 1000 block of Duval, the Speakeasy is in a historic building. With a warm and cozy inside, with a fresh air outside porch overlooking Duval St. , as the name suggests there is an uncountable amount of Rums from around the Caribbean to be had, as well as beer and wine.

Cajun and Tooloulou Rating: 8

KRAWL OFF DUVAL: Krawl Off Duval is just that. Located just a couple of doors east of Duval on Southard, Krawl Off Duval is Key West’s second Craft Beer Bar. A great selection of beer from around the world, with an emphasis on draft. Inside seating with outside porch seating both upstairs and down on street level.

Cajun and Tooloulou Rating: 9

GEIGER KEY: Off of Key West there is Geiger Key Marina. If you don’t know where it is, I’m not going to ruin the secret!  Fabulous setting on the water, this is the back country Keys and dogs are welcome! A Tiki bar right on the water. Quiet, peaceful, really laid back atmosphere. Music on weekend evenings.

Cajun and Tooloulou Rating: 10

HOGFISH BAR & GRILL: The Hogfish again is off the beaten path, this time on Stock Island, right on the marina. There used to be a sign there that said “No Dogs”, however I’ve seen dogs there plenty of times, so perhaps its tongue in cheek? To be honest, I’ve never been there with Cajun and Tooloulou, so I must rate it myself. Rating: 10

B.O.’s Fishwagon: What can one say about B.O’s? To call it a shack, may be kind. But it’s real Key West and they allow dogs in there as well, as it’s open air with a corrugated roof, it’s an outdoor restaurant. Like the Hogfish and Geiger Key, they have several deliveries a day, direct from the docks, not a Sysco truck from Miami, by way of Panama, Ecuador, Guatemala, Chile… ex. It comes straight out of local waters. Friday night is the best time to go as Bong Hits for Geezers will be playing (Barry Cuda, Richard Crooks, and a rotating list of guest musicians including Kenny Fradley and Chief Billy Two Beers. If you don’t have fun at B.O.’s, get yourself a spade, dig a hole, and jump in, ‘cause you’re dead!

Cajun and Tooloulou Rating: 10



Special thanks to Cajun and Tooloulou for helping out!!! They’ve wandered all over Key West with me for since they arrived in my life over three years ago and are very, very well known all around town. They truly are experts on bars and often help guide my way home! Bottom line is, there are a fair amount of places where you can bring your dog to. Something to consider if you're thinking of visiting and bringing your pooch!




One of the fun things about writing a blog is viewing the stats! I get viewers of course from the U.S., but also Canada, the U.K., Russia, the Ukraine, China, India, and Brazil on a regular basis! Isn’t the internet amazing? Welcome to all!
The week between Christmas and New Year’s is the second busiest week in Key West, after Fantasy Fest. This year was no exception! Key West was packed! My friend Buscuit Miller was in town playing at Schooner Wharf for New Year’s. We went sailing with Captain Larry Poff and had a fantastic time! I was at Schooner Wharf for New Years as well and Buscuit and the band rocked the house!

After I left Schooner I stopped by McConnell’s at 900 Duval on my way home. Deb Hudson and the Groove Daddies were kicking it out, on this evening with Bubba Low Notes on bass, filling in for Din Allen.

Jeff Allen and Carol Ewald, owners of http://beachfrontradio.com/home.cfm were back in town for a busman’s holiday, of sorts combining both business and pleasure. Beachfront Radio is the largest TropRock station in the world. They bought me dinner for my birthday on January 3! Thanks guys! Had a great time with them as well at McConnell’s, Captain Tony’s, and the Rum Barrel a couple of days later. Lots of fun! Hurry back guys!

On January 6th I stopped by The Green Parrot and caught the band “Donna The Buffalo”, for the first time. A lot of unfamiliar faces in the crowd and I realized that, like the Grateful Dead, these fans followed the entire tour! Fantastic! If I had to classify the fans, I’d put them in the same category as fans of the ‘Dead as well. It was a great time and that band was really good quality and a lot of fun, as were the fans! Throughout the gig I’d see people singing along with the band on their original reportois. A lot of the songs were organ (B3) based, so that was a real cool twist. I highly recommend catching one of their gigs if they come to your town!
Thanks! Hope you enjoyed this week’s Blog! See you next week!

All the Best From Key West!

“Key West Chris” Rehm

http://keywestchris.com/

Conch Rock!!!

Life on My Terms by Key West Chris Rehm
^enjoy “LIFE ON MY TERMS” while you read the blog!^



CONCH ROCK
What exactly is “Conch Rock” anyway? Simply put, Conch Rock is any music that is written and created in the Conch Republic. The next obvious question is “Where exactly is the Conch Republic?”. Well, geographically the Conch Republic starts in the Dry Tortugas, about seventy miles west of Key West and runs east, through the Marquesas Keys, then on through Key West and up through the archipelago of the Florida Keys, including all the key islands in the Florida Bay, then up U.S. 1 through Key Largo, up the eighteen mile stretch, to the Last Chance Saloon in Florida City. Additionally the keys north of Key Largo; Old Rhoades Key, Elliot Key, Sands Key, and Boca Chita Key are in the Conch Republic as well.
Any music, by any artist, created within these geographic boundaries, is Conch Rock.

An addendum to this follows: As Sir Peter Anderson, Secretary General of the Conch Republic often states, The Conch Republic is a “Sovereign State of Mind”. Because of this, anyone who is in a “Conch Republic State of Mind”© outside the Conch Republic, but is writing a song about the Conch Republic, ..lets say fishing off Islamorada, or hanging out at a bar at a marina in the Keys, what have you, it doesn’t matter if they are in Modesto, California, or Put In Bay, Ohio, so long as they’re writing music about the Conch Republic, they are also producing Conch Rock.




Conch Rock and Trop Rock are, more often than not, one and the same and share the same roots. Conch Rock however, has a much broader definition, as it is any music produced in the Keys, or written about the Keys. Which came first, Trop Rock or Conch Rock? It’s almost akin to asking the chicken or the egg question. Many people credit Jimmy Buffett as the father of Trop Rock, adapting many of his Caribbean influences and blending them with American Rock, Country, and Blues. Of course he was living in Key West when he first started doing so, was he playing Trop Rock, Conch Rock, or both? As previously mentioned, Conch Rock is a bit more flexible in its requirements. Below is an example of a song which is Conch Rock, but not Trop Rock. Enjoy “MILE ZERO”

Mile Zero by Key West Chris Rehm

Inspirational Key West and the Conch Republic

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Gary Hempsey, MOTM Revisited, Female songwriters/performers

The Greatest Country by Key West Chris Rehm
^ listen to “The Greatest Country” while you enjoy the blog! ^

News Flash Bulletin! This just in, It looks as though I will be interviewed on NPR Radio in a couple of weeks, before the end of the year!!! Conch Rock/Trop Rock goes on the National Public Radio syndicated network! More news as it develops!!!!!!






I can’t think of a better place to live, then in the Conch Republic! Anywhere from Key West through Key Largo and the 107 miles and forty some odd bridges linking the archipelago of islands, which started as a railroad, back ninety nine years ago. However, life being life, nothing is perfect and the Conch Republic is certainly no exception to that rule. A very ugly event happened recently in Key West, as a matter of fact, which have everybody shaking their heads in bemusement. Gary Hempsey, a local performer who’s been playing at Captain Tony’s for something to the tune of twenty years, wanted to cut back his schedule there, in order to explore some new things. Instead of saying “Hey Gary! No problem. What works for you?”, the manager just up and fired his ass.

One of Captain Tony’s sons posted on Gary’s FB page that he knew his dad would not be happy about this at all. I’m sure that the ashes of Captain Tony himself, have gathered and turned into a water spout/cyclone, somewhere in the Florida Straits. For those who don’t know Gary, he’s first and foremost, his own man. He’s a very unique guy with a great character. Everyone when hearing the news was awestruck in disbelief. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I heard the exact same statement “What? You’re kidding, right? How could anybody fire Gary Hempsey from Captain Tony’s?” Gary was one of the key faces of Captain Tony’s; a stalwart of the institution itself, who played there with the late Captain Tony’s full support and blessing. What happened here was a disgrace. It was an insult to Gary and his loyalty to the bar for two decades, the patrons who always make a point of catching his show when they are in town, his extensive local fan base, all of the other great employees who work there, additionally the action sullies the name of the bar itself. There is someone who needs to go from Captain Tony’s, but it’s certainly not Gary Hempsey.



The pictures in the collage are Gary playing at his birthday party at Smokin’ Tuna back in August.


I had a really nice thing happen at MOTM that I forgot to mention in the last blog I had just rounded the corner at the end of Greene St. and turned up Elizabeth St. in my VW Bus, when I heard a group of people holler out “Look! It’s Key West Chris!”. I figured they were friends of mine and parked. They were right in front of the B and B next to Lazy Way, partying in the street. As I approached they all hollered out again. Turned out they were from North Carolina and in for MOTM and had recognized me and my VW from both Facebook and the Trop Rock stations that are playing “Shanghai’d and Marooned in Key West (things could be worse)”. I ended up hanging out with them for about a half hour, as they were kind enough to share a few beers with me. Thanks guys! My friends who I was meeting, Key Largo Joe and Cindy, thought I died! HA HA HA!

Hindsight is also 20/20. I forgot to mention something about Kelly McGuire, who held his annual event at Lighthouse Court at MOTM. Kelly was here also earlier this year for the Key West Songwriter’s Festival, a.k.a KWSF. To be invited to the KWSF is a great honor, as it’s not a bar in Key West that invites you, but rather BMI Nashville, who is the host of the event. For those who don't know, BMI is BIG in the mechanical publishing rights side of the music industry.In other words, when a radio station plays a song, or it is played in a jukebox, or a performing artist covers a song, BMI are the ones who collect the royalties and pay the songwriter. Congratulations on that one Kelly!

There were so many great songwriters here for MOTM! It was a true pleasure to hear them! On flip side, there were also those who all wrote songs about getting loaded on Duval. Way, way too many, actually. I was ready to pull my hair out :-O if I heard another that weekend. Thank God for the great songwriters, they kept me from going insane.

Speaking of Trop Rock & Conch Rock, another area that is way open for growth is the implement of estrogen in the genres. There are so few women in the field, it’s on the cusp of being sad. The bright side there is Adrienne, who is based here in the Conch Republic. Adrienne is a graduate of Berklee, up in Boston and is truly a great songwriter and performer; someone who deserves much more attention. As she lives in the Keys, all of her music is Conch Rock, of which a decent amount also happens to fall into the Trop Rock genre as well. Be sure to check Adrienne out at her website http://adriennemusic.com/ and also on her Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/adriennemuz

Michelle Orlandi Becker has won the female vocalist of the year at MOTM for years. An accomplished songwriter in her own right, she and her husband Tom form Latitude.

Of course, there’s Nadria Shakur, the backup singer for Jimmy Buffett, is an artist in her own rite, indeed. The Atlanta based Nadira has a good mix of Trop Rock and R&B in her song repertoire. So, Nadira is partly Trop Rock.

Kristie Hayes Bobal had her CD release party during MOTM at Carmelo’s Bottle Cap. She was also interviewed on Beach Front Radio prior to the release. From what I heard of the CD, while it seems it was well produced and had some great sounding musicians on it, it falls into the genre of Southern Rock. No knock against the work itself; however it’s a missed opportunity for Trop Rock to have an additional female artist.


Dani Hoy, out of Pennsylvania, is making progress in the field. Good for her too! I hear the word on the street is that she is planning and perhaps working on an upcoming project. She played at Artist Koz’ Green World Gallery here in Key West for MOTM. Hopefully she’ll have a CD in there for sale as well before long.


Also, up in Panama, Florida there’s Sandra Heart Youngblood who accompanies her husband Steven Youngblood as a duo, playing the steel pan.

Here’s the bottom line; I just named a total of four female performers who are Trop Rock and or, Conch Rock full time artists. That’s Adrienne, Michelle Orlandi, Sandra Youngblood, and Dani Hoy; Nadirah Shakur being partially Trop Rock. Now, I must have missed one or two, maybe more… I apologize to those who, at the moment skipped my feeble brain. However, the bottom line is there is a huge opening for quality, female artists and particularly writers, in Trop Rock and Conch Rock.

Will keep y’all posted on my NPR interview as I learn more!


Thanks to Melissa for the framed pictures of Cajun and Tooloulou!

The Crazy Weeks

THE CRAZY WEEKS
7 Mile Bridge by Key West Chris Rehm

^Listen to the demo of “7 Mile Bridge” while you read the Blog!^

Autumn brings two crazy weeks in a row of festivals to Key West. All are as different from one another as can be, as well. Not only the craziest festival in Key West, but easily the craziest festival in the U.S., and perhaps the world, Fantasy Fest, kicked off the insanity. Fantasy Fest is far and away, the largest -festival Key West has in the year, bar none. We’re not talking three thousand, ten thousand or fifteen -thousand. Fantasy Fest is more than three times larger than its second largest festival, the Key West Poker Run, which draws 30,000! We’re looking at 100,000 strong. This is the “Big Daddy” of Key West Festivals. To begin with, the event is not three or five days long, it’s a ten day event, starting with the Goombay Festival, to kick it off. It’s also not for the faint of heart, at least as far as clothing goes… or lack thereof. Fantasy Fest is actually a mascaraed party and body paint is considered clothing at Fantasy Fest. Frankly, the reality of it all is that maybe fifteen to eighteen percent are wearing body paint. It’s just that when you see those with nothing on… ah, let’s say it grabs your attention!

Monday and Tuesday have always been on Greene St. in front of Captain Tony’s , however this year it was so crowded early in the week, on Tuesday they extended it a day early down Duval to The Bull. Of course there were theme parties at all the bars on different nights. The plaid party at Captain Tony’s on Tuesday, the Toga Party at Sloppie’s on Thursday. The kinky party at Kelly’s… I missed Wednesday – Friday evenings as I wasn’t feeling up to par….more on that later. I was with the 40 ft. Sharpie Float again this year for the parade on Saturday. Always a great time on the float! Big thanks to Angus, Gary, Sherrie, Rachel, Blackheart Charlie, Kate, Ken, Cory, Bill, Mammasabi, Wasabi, Chevi, Jeff, Scott, Cindy, Key Largo Joe, Irish Hazel, Doug, Jan, Dave, Ashley, Rich in Spirit, Todd,… the list goes on.



The day before the Fantasy Fest Parade, Rachel, with a bit of help from her beau, Blackheart Charlie, got us into the local’s mascaraed parade and was the mastermind behind it. Charlie had told me it was the greatest thing, as he had been in it last year for the first time. I had heard about it, but never had even seen it. Turns out, it is Key West’s best kept secret! What a blast! We joined this parade at the graveyard and a bunch of us who were in our float group went as “One Hula Family”, a parody on Key West’s motto “One Human Family”. Again, this was Rachel’s fabulous conception. Truly genius and ever so creative! A tip of the hat to Rachel indeed! This parade lasted about two and a half hours and full of locals on the side streets of Key West. Do it again next year? Damn tootin’!!!

For the Fantasy Fest Parade we hauled the float from Ken’s house to the staging area. I was the cook on the float and had been from the get-go at the meetings we had. Ken issued a grill and I was busy! I had to run home when I was done and regretfully, like the evenings where I missed Fantasy Fest, I wasn’t feeling up to par and realized that a 2 ½ - 3 hour march wasn’t in the cards for me, so I stayed home. Again, more on that later.


Next up was MOTM
MOTM brings in the Trop Rockers and Parrot Heads to town, along with all sorts of live music to be heard all around town. There are also awards given out by the Margarita Mafia, over at the Casa Marina. Unfortunately for me, the release of “Shanghai’d and Marooned in Key West (things could be worse)” was too late for this years running, so we’ll be shooting for next year’s album of the year. All of the eighteen Key West players on the CD were just exceptional, not forgetting Producer Dan Simpson. They really deserve it!

Special thanks to DJ Jeff, Captain Cali, and Brian Roberts who got me into the Beachfront Radio Beach Party at Sloppy Joe’s. What a blast! Brian, gave up his regular gig to put on multiple acts there. He did a fantastic job of it as well! What organization. Everything went so smooth and Brian is a true pro… and a great guy to boot. I bumped into my Coconut Castaway pal, Marc Hollander and hung out with him when I got there. Marc’s a great guy and he and his wife Tammy are great fun to hang with. Also, my friend Cindi Hogan was there! Then, my pal Key Largo Joe showed up! Then Jeff Lange! What a great time I got up and did my songs opening with a brand new song “Island Ladies” then followed it with two songs off Shanghai’d, “My Little Island Town” and then closing it with “The Beach!!!!” .. for Captain Cali, of Beachfront!  Coming off the stage, again I wasn’t up to par again however. My chest was pounding really hard. After a few minutes however, all was well again…

Funny, there I was driving down the street going to Sloppy’s when I hear a bunch of people holler out my name “Key West Chris!!!”. Turned out it was a group of folks from North Carolina who knew me from a few of the Trop Rock stations and FB! How cool is that? I later had a beer with them on the street! Thanks guys! Then, It was a great reward this morning when Trop Rock artist Swim Skinny posted a very nice complement on my FB wall. It’s always great to get encouragement on one’s art. It’s kind of on a special plateau however when it comes from a fellow musician. Much appreciated Swim!!!!

I also got to play at Kelly McGuire’s event at Lighthouse Point. What a great little venue, plus it’s only four doors down the street from where I live! Kelly’s a great songwriter as well and a very good musician to boot. He does this every year and it’s always a pleasure to go. Highly recommended!

On Friday I went to my cardiologist who did a scan on me. After that Key Largo Joe called and told me to meet him at the street gig on Duval. Mac McAnally was scheduled, but Joe said Buffett was playing. Now, bear in mind, every year there are rampant rumors that Buffett will show, but he never does. When Joe says so… Joe’s got inside info and he knows! Thanks Joe!Sure as anything, Buffet played on the corner of Duval and Fleming! The place was a sardine can, but it was great! Everyone there was ecstatic! MOTM has many events around town; many not part of the official event at all. I think Kelly’s falls into that category? The cool thing that I liked about it was Buffett did it for everyone. Not just those at the Casa Marina, but rather everyone at the event itself. Additionally, he only did songs that were 1975 and before…. a.k.a songs that he wrote during his primary years in Key West. What a great concept!

During the concert I had a call from my cardiologist. “You need to get to Miami asap!!!” Make a long story short, I nearly bought the farm on the way there. Arrived in Miami and the BP was 252/140. I got there just in time too. They did a catheter on me and cleared out a clogged stent that was previously put in. Now I’m back to normal! Special thanks to Richard, Lora, Gary, and Sherrie for watching my family, Cajun and Tooloulou while I was away. Woof-Woof!!!!

I was away, but I’m not gone!




Shanghai'd and Marooned in Key West (things could be worse) Is available at:

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8538563

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/keywestchris

http://www.beachfrontradio.com/keywestchris.cfm



Also available at iTunes. Search: Key West Chris