Meeting of the Minds 2014

         Every year on the first week of November, thousands of Parrot Heads and Trop Rock music fans "flock" to Key West, Florida for the annual Jimmy Buffett fan club convention called "Meeting Of The Minds". Four (or five, or six, or more - depending on your stamina) days of sun and fun in the bars and watering holes around Key West. Like many of our friends, Georgia and I like to take the long way down - flying in to Ft. Lauderdale, renting a car and driving down US 1 until we get to the end of the road. Along the way, we all have our favorite stops for fish sandwiches, conch fritters, and a variety of frozen drinks and cold beer. Here is a random picture diary of this year's trip. If you were there, we hope you reminisce along with us. if you weren't - or have never been - maybe this will coerce you into planning a trip in 2015...

 Alabama Jacks, Key Largo

 BO's Fish Wagon, Key West

 John Frinzi, Smokin' Tuna Saloon, Key West

 Sunset at Ft. Zachary Taylor State Park, Key West

 Geiger Key Marina, Key West

 Sunset in Key Largo

 Ft. Zachary Taylor, Key West

 Gilbert's Resort, Key Largo

 Jim Morris at Hog's Breath Saloon street party, Key West

 Kelly McGuire and Mark Mulligan, Key West Lighthouse

 Duval Street, Key West

 Lor-e-lei, Islamorada

 Looe Key Tiki Bar, Ramrod Key

 Peter Mayer and Coral Reefers, Casa Marina, Key West

 Rob Mehl, Hog's Breath, Key West

 Rum Runners, Islamorada

 Schooner Wharf, Key West

 Sunset in Key Largo

Sunset, Mallory Square, Key West

CD Reviews: John Friday and Yankee Jack

John Friday, Coastal Cowboy

John Friday is a self–described "Tropical Balladeer and Displaced Pirate" who originally hails from Maryland. The singer/songwriter's eclectic background includes a stint as a crabber on the Chesapeake Bay, as well as assorted attempts at college, studying subjects from biology to business. After an injury ended his thirteen year Army career, Friday settled in the Naples area of Florida and started writing songs and performing in the local bars. In 2009, he released his first full length cd, "Coastal Dreamin'", which included the rollicking ditties “Ain’t Missing a Thing” and “Rita’s Going Wild”.

That’s the intro to an interview I did with John, aka “The Teddy Bear of Trop Rock”, a couple years back. Since then, I have had a number of chances to hear John play live – including a memorable House Concert in Atlanta where he played…and played…and played…for over four hours, mixing in his impressive collection of originals with some creative cover songs. That event, hosted by a group I co-founded called the Atlanta Trop Rock Alliance, was also the first place I heard some of the tunes that would wind up on his latest cd, “Coastal Cowboy” – also a collection of mostly originals with a couple of carefully chosen covers..

The cd kicks off with the rocking party starter, “Beachfront” where John describes a typical Parrot Head pot luck: “You bring the tequila, I’ll bring the salt and limes”.  The next track, “Home”, brims with optimism and positive vibes – over a shuffling guitar track and 60’s Soul organ fills. It’s hard to hold a frowny face when you have a church choir singing, “So happy” over and over! As someone who can’t wait to ditch the city life for a Salty Piece of Land, the whistful “Coastal Dreamin’”, track three on the cd, has become the soundtrack to my life – as well as a source of inspiration. Like the song says, “…these coastal dreams are all I need to get me through the day”.

Other stand out cuts include the title track, which jumbles together images of Cowboys and Sailboats (sort of a Trop Rock version of Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead Or Alive”) and “Kisses With My Coffee”, a sweet and sentimental love song with a super catchy chorus. Friday’s twisted sense of humor takes a front seat in the half kids’ ditty/half barroom sing along, “Nils The Rasta Viking”. “He took his shield and made a steel drum out of it…he’s Nils the Rasta Viking, drinking rum and aquavit”. I mentioned covers earlier – Michael Franti & Spearhead’s 2009 Summer hit, “Say Hey (I Love You)” gets the Teddy Bear treatment, and John pays tribute to one of his musical inspirations, Dan Fogelberg, with a beautiful ballad titled “When You’re Not Near Me”, a cut from Fogelberg’s 2003 cd, “Full Circle”.

http://johnfriday.com/index.html

Yankee Jack, Key West Conch-troversial

Sitting up close to hear Yankee Jack in a bar  is like being in the front row at a Gallagher show – eventually, you’re gonna get hit with something. Only, in Jack’s case, it’s not sledgehammered fruit – it’s humor, mostly of the “not politically correct” variety. Tourists, foreigners, gays, fat people, skinny people, women with large breasts – breasts in general. They all get lovingly attended to (or skewered) at a Yankee Jack show. Typical Jack Joke (paraphrased): “They’re outlawing mini skirts on Duval Street. The problem is the testicles hanging below the hemline”. Bad-dum-bum. If you’ve been to Key West, chances are you’ve heard Yankee Jack. He holds court most weekdays at the Bull and Whistle on Duval  and – given the open air layout of the first-floor Bull – the laughter and music is usually heard spilling out into the street.

Key West Conch-troversial, Jack’s latest cd of original material, is a conglomeration of “straight” material with plenty of his over the top musical comedy. The opening track, a tribute to his adopted home town (originally from new England, Jack moved to Key West in 1989) “Cayo Hueso”, mixes the two. One minute he’s singing about sleeping on the beach under the stars, the next he’s admiring a woman with “a great caboose”. “Same Sex Sunday” is not about spending part of the weekend hanging out with your own gender, like the title might imply. Instead, it’s an ode to stuck in a rut marriages (“What we used to do like stars of porn is scheduled now for Sunday morn”). “Jesus Was a Democrat” will probably tweak those on the Right but, then again, Conservative has never been a word associated with Key West. “The Last Mudslide” is a musical shout out to Jack’s main employer that floats a familiar theme  – a Key West visitor that isn’t quite ready to head back home (“I’m strapped in a plane and I wish I were back – drinking Mudslides on the bar at the Bull”).

More of the larger than life Yankee Jack’s humor appears on “If It Flirts, Floats Or Flies, Rent It” (“A woman gives you nookie, but she might wind up to look like Snookie”) and the title track, another tribute to his adopted island home, “Very Conch-troversial” (“The Southernmost point is my new home, I come from a land they call bitch and moan, and half this island’s getting stoned”). But, just when you think you’ve got Jack figured out as a jokester and humorist, he slides comfortably into a soft piano ballad like “The Sea”, or a catchy Trop rock toast to a seaside town, like “Casco Bay”.  

For a taste of Jack’s live show, check out his cd, “The Best Of Yankee Jack Live in Key West”. Just don’t sit too close to the speakers.  http://yankeejack.com/

Meet "Mr. & Mrs. Margaritaville"!

Since I started this blog, I have written about beaches... Spotlighted some bars... And interviewed a number of bands. But, I have never combined all three into one article. Until now... Chris Hambrook is one of the main drink slingers at Margaritaville in Key West. Having been a patron of Margaritaville Key West many times, I thought it would be great to spend a few minutes with Chris and find out what it’s like to be a BAR tender...that sees some great BANDS... in a BEACH town!
 

 

 

Nice to meet you, Chris! How long have you been bartending – and where did you get started?

I have been bartending for over 20 years now. I started at a place called Armadillos on the city dock in Annapolis MD.

 

What made you want to get into bartending?  

I have been in the restaurant business since I could reach a sink or a stove - worn every hat from bottom to the top. I got into bartending because it's the most fun position in the house. I love being the master of ceremonies. I also love trying to wow my guests and, for me, the bar is the most fun place to do that from.

What brought you to Key West?

I moved to Key West 20 years ago, two weeks after seeing my first Jimmy Buffett concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion. The island life call to me so I took the leap and moved here with $300 bucks in my pocket. I was a commercial fisherman for the first year. Then drove a cab here for 7 years. Then I worked at Turtle Kraal and, later, I managed Bagatelle restaurant. I have been at Margaritaville for 6 years now.

 

I would think working at Margaritaville would be a much sought after gig. How did you land the job?

I filled out the application and went through the hiring process, just like anyone else. I did know Lou Gammel, the bar manager, for many years prior to my working there but nobody got past the general manager, Ray Massiero, without going through the process. I also had to wait two weeks for them to think it over because my wife had just started there a month earlier.

Let's talk about that....Your wife, Patricija, also works there...how did you guys meet?

My wife and I met at the Stick and Stein bar here in Key West where she was bartending – I came in to watch Monday Night Football. We went out on a date on a Wednesday night and were married in Key West courthouse that Friday afternoon. 19 years later, here we are proudly taking care of Jimmy's guests and enjoying this great Key West life. All because I was inspired to come here after seeing one Jimmy Buffett concert!

How many days/nights a week do you work?

I work Wednesday though Sunday. Patricija works Thursday through Monday night. Tuesday is our one day off a week together.

So, what it is like working in a place like Margaritaville with your wife?

A typical work day for my wife and I is treating everyday Jimmy Buffett fan and every guest that comes through that door like the gold they are. We like to wow them every chance we get. We like to share stories of our life on the island here with them – but not bragging, in a humble, grateful way. We never take any guest, or any of this, for granted. We know we have this whole great life because of what Jimmy Buffett created and it's all his fans old and new that keep this thing going. For Parrotheads, Margaritaville Key West is their church because it's the original. For us it's the Vatican and we are the Popes – and that's why we wear the funny hats!

What do you and your wife like to do when you’re not working?

When were not working we like to support our other local bartenders. I play drums. My wife works on art projects.

I have heard it’s very expensive for the average working person to live in Key West – is that true? You live in Stock Island, right? 

Yes it is very expensive to live here in the Keys, but that's like winning the lottery and bitching about the taxes. You gotta stay focused and be frugal and keep your nose to the grindstone to keep the dream going. Yes we do live on the tourist mecca known as Stock Island!

What’s the best thing about living in the Keys and working in Key West?

The best thing about living in the keys for me is that for the most part everyone gets along down here. The Keys has a “do what you want to do. Be what you want to be. Don't mess with me and I won't mess with you” attitude and I am definitely with that. Also, you can't beat the great weather and beautiful views year round.

And on the flipside, what’s the WORST thing about living in the Keys and working in Key West?

The worst thing about living in the Keys is seeing on television restaurants that you know you can't get to without driving 150 miles! Also, when testosterone ridden, angry, mean people visit the island here and spread a mean vibe…

 

As long as we’re doing “Best and Worst”, what are the best and worst things about working with your wife?

The best thing about working with my wife is I get to work and be with my best friend all the time. For me, that is a dream come true. We both come from families that worked and operated restaurants together all their lives also. So it's in our DNA. The worst thing about working with my wife is she's better than me.

Do you have a favorite drink to make, a specialty?

I do have a signature drink that I love to make. I call it Liquid Sunshine. For me it represents the island when it's a crystal clear, beautiful sunny day and then it rains just a little bit.

Cruzan banana rum
Cruzan raspberry rum
Cruzan mango rum
Cruzan citrus rum
Orange juice and pineapple juice

Shake vigorously and pour into glass over ice
Squeeze and drop a lime wedge to represent the island.
Smack a mint leaf to break out the flavor and place in glass to represent the palm trees.
Place an orange and cherry garnish to represent the sunsets.
Then float with 151 rum to represent the power of the Sunshine!!

What’s your personal favorite thing on the menu at Margaritaville?

I have several favorites. The seafood mac and cheese entree. Lava Lava shrimp and also the Jamaica You Make a Mistakea wings apps.

Working at Margaritaville, I bet you guys get to see lots of fun and crazy things.. Tell me some of the wildest/funniest/craziest.... You said Capt. Tony renewed your wedding vows at Margaritaville?

Yes! The greatest thing ever to happen to us at Margaritaville was “Captain Tony” Terracino renewing our wedding vows at table 1 on the floor of the the original Margaritaville.

One of the wildest things we saw was during a fantasy fest about 6 years ago. A cruise ship full of nudists came into the restaurant and packed the dance floor. A bunch of old naked dancing happy people. That kind of thing still happens from time to time.. it’s known to get pretty wild on the island here during Fantasy Fest! It is also wild to see all the different Jimmy Buffett inspired tattoos people put on their bodies. I have a manatee and dolphin on my left arm and I have sharks on my right arm. So yes, I have fins to the left and fins to the right.


You also get to see lots of great music... Who are some of your favorite bands that have played at Margaritaville?

Some of my favorite bands that play Margaritaville are The Boat Drunks, the Baja Brothers, Michael Armstrong and the Key West Band, The Nace Brothers, the Niki Barr Band , Scott Kirby and Country Dave Edmundson, The Sauce Boss, John Patti and John Frinzy, Parrot Beach, Jonathan Birchfield, and my own band SPUNJWURTHI. Then, of course, you get the big boys doing special guest appearances or even entire shows.My all time favorite was seeing Jimmy Buffet there three years ago when he premiered the song “We Got a Lot to Drink About”. We even got to see Jimmy Buffet do an entire show in 1998 with the band Iko Iko. Which, by the way, was the first time we got to meet Jimmy Buffet. Kenny Chesney and Mac MacAnally did an entire show just over a month ago here at Margaritavile. Peter Mayer has given us a whole show as well. Nadira Shakoor sits in with The Boat Drunks from time to time. Doyle Grisham has played the stage. Ilo Ferriera has played a few times. So many great performances.

You said earlier you play the drums. Do you get to play much at Margaritaville?

Yes, I do play drums. Margaritaville and the bands often allow me to sit in with them, which is truly - from the bottom of my heart - an honor to be able to do. I love when I'm bartending and the bands invite me to the stage and I come from behind the bar and get behind the drum set and rock the house and then come back behind the bar. What an amazing feeling knowing I too get to play that world famous stage.

What else would you like people to know about you and your wife, Margaritaville or Key West…any "Tips for Tourists"?  

I would like everyone to know that we wear the moniker of “Mr. and Mrs. Margaritaville” with pride and all the love in our hearts. When you come in we will strive to give each and every one of you a once in a lifetime experience here at Jimmy Buffets original Margaritaville in Key West Florida. My tips for the tourists: Go out and see all these wonderful musicians, buy their CDs, support the music and let's keep this thing rolling!

 

Thanks for the time, Chris…I’ll see you soon in Key West!

Dennis McCaughey: His feet may be in Pennsylvania, but he's got a Tropical Soul.

When you think "Trop Rock", you generally think warm climates. Which is why so many of the top artists in the genre make their homes in places like Key West and on the Gulf Coast from Florida to Texas. But, increasingly, you can find steel drums and island vibes in what most people would consider "tropically challenged" spots, like Michigan and Indiana. Proving it's not where your feet are, it's where your head - and heart - are that makes you a Parrot Head or Trop Rock fan, Dennis McCaughey and Tropical Soul have carved out their own little slice of Margaritaville in Central Pennsylvania. I sat down with Dennis recently and asked him about the origins of the band, his songwriting style, and how his band become one of the musical mainstays of Meeting of The Minds, the Parrot Head "phlocking" that takes place every year in Key West. 

Tropical Soul, the band, has been together for over a dozen years. How long have YOU, personally, been playing music?

Well, it's hard to believe that TS has been around so long. We must have started when we were in high school! Seriously though, I bought my first guitar in 1978 at the ripe old age of twenty (ok, start doing the math...) and was immediately hooked. My brother and I formed a duo a few years later and started playing in local bars and restaurants by about 1984. After some 34 years, I can't imagine life without music!

The Keystone State doesn’t seem a natural spot for someone to start singing about “beaches and boats”. What made you gravitate towards that kind of music – the journey that took you there - and how did the band, Tropical Soul, come together?

      

I think for me, I really just started to identify with the laidback life "backdrop" that the music is wrapped around. Even living in central PA, I've always been drawn to the water, I've always loved beaches, bars and boats, so when I found the musical connection to those things it just seemed to click for me.

I bought my first Buffett album (yes, big round vinyl thingy) in 1983 and in the duo with my brother we did a few Buffett tunes. After a few years I went on to play solo and kept on adding more of Jimmy's songs to my repertoire. I went into a sort of retirement in the mid 90's. My wife and I joined the brand new local Parrothead club in our area in 1996. As we started to have regular social gatherings with the club, I thought it would be cool if I brushed up on some of the Buffett tunes I knew and offer to play at one of the get-togethers. I did this a couple of times as a solo and then our president Jim Moser said he had a friend who played bass and sang and was really good. He said he'd like to have him come out and join me for a few songs at the next meeting. I kind of forgot about it, but sure enough at the next meeting I met Jim's friend Al Anderson. He sat in on a few songs and played bass. It sounded great and by about the third song he was singing harmony. He was a great singer and our voices blended immediately. By the end of the set my wheels were turning. We hit it off and within a couple of months, we were booking gigs and Tropical Soul was born.

Every songwriter I know has their own process for practicing their craft. What is yours… Do you decide, “it’s time to make a new album, let’s write some songs” or do the songs come first and, when you have enough of them written, then you make the album? And what are some of your favorite Dennis McCaughey-penned songs?

      

Not being a very prolific songwriter, I have always approached it like "it's time to make a new album." I'm not one who writes all the time so when I do start to write, I have to conjure up some discipline and get myself to get into a routine of blocking out time and writing at least a little bit every day. It does work for me but it's not the prettiest thing in the world. Usually once I have enough songs for a cd, I'll go back to only writing occasionally.

I always think the song, "No Plans At All", is probably my best writing. I like the way the studio recording came out too with John Patti doing a great part on the steel drums. "Bahama Mama" was fun to write and really came to life in the studio with Scott Bryan blowing everyone away with his percussion playing and JP killing it on steel pans. On the new "Little Summertime" cd there's a song called "Richest Man in the World", which talks about my dropping out of the corporate world and pursuing music full time. I probably won't be on the cover of Forbes Magazine any time soon, but I've been very blessed and really do feel rich......just don't check my bank account!

 

 

What about touring, how much do you and the band do?

      

I guess we're on the road about ten weeks a year, total. Most of that time is based around trips that end up in Key West. I'm lucky enough to get to play in Key West about 4-5 weeks a year now, so I'll kind of build mini tours around those weeks. In the last couple of years we've also been fortunate enough to play in New Orleans, Los Angeles, San Diego, Canada, New England and lots of other wonderful places.

What are some of your favorite places to play around the country and what makes them a favorite?

      

The first time I visited Key West, almost twenty years ago, my wife and I stumbled (probably literally...) into the Hog's Breath Saloon. There was a guy playing acoustic guitar and singing. The atmosphere was great, he was great and I couldn't help but wonder how cool it would be to get to play on that stage. Still one of my favorites! I love the Navagator for it's great vibe and Trop Rock loving crowds and The Yard in Tampa is so unique and cool. I had a blast there.

What about House Concerts?

I've only done a handful of house concerts so far. It is a great and very intimate experience playing for a listening crowd. They are becoming more and more popular. As you know, I'm coming there to Atlanta to do a House Concert for you guys (sponsored by the Atlanta Trop Rock Alliance) in early May. I'm working on doing a little house concert tour later this year. I'll keep you posted on that.

What are some of your favorite "home town hangs"?

      

There are so many great places in the area, especially in the Summer. Some of my favorites are TJ Rockwells in Elizabethtown, with its huge tropical themed deck and outdoor bar made out of a boat. Heritage Hills in York has been doing Parrothead Sundays all summer on their beautiful patio for years. It's always a blast. Loxley's and Trio have great outdoor spaces too and are always fun and both are within five minutes of my house!

My wife, Georgia, and I saw Tropical Soul at Hog’s Breath Saloon every afternoon during Meeting Of The Minds last year. How did you get that gig?

     

I had gotten to know Scott Kirby in the late 90's. From the first time I saw him perform I was hooked on his writing, musicianship, sharp wit and humor. He was and is one of my favorite songwriters. Through Parrothead events, crossing paths, occasionally sitting in with one another and having opportunities to spend some time together, we become good friends. When we were preparing to start recording our "No Plans at All" CD in 2004, I asked Scott if I could record one of his songs on the album. He graciously said yes. We ended up recording Scott's "Heart of a Beach Town" on that record. I had told Scott that we planned to release the new CD at MOTM that year. He was scheduled to play at the Hog's Breath for the entire week and was kind enough to offer that we come by and play a set of our new songs during one of his gigs at the Hog. We were thrilled and we made it a CD release party. It was a greatt success! The following year, Scott was invited to play at the Casa (big stage) during MOTM. With not being able to play the Hog and the Casa, he recommended us to the folks at the Hog as a fill in for the day. We obliged gladly. The following year, there were two days that Scott had other gigs going and we filled in both. As Scott's schedule changed, we did three and then four days in the following years. Seemed each year another day opened up until finally we were offered the entire week. I believe we've been doing the entire week for the last five years now. I feel very lucky to have "fallen" into this great spot. This year, my trio will be back again for the week playing the 5:30 to 9:30 shift. I can't wait!

Where do you see “Trop Rock” going in the next 5 – 10 years?

Well, ya know, the support and enthusiasm for Trop Rock still seems to be growing! I think one of the signs of longevity is that TR has found its way more and more into mainstream country music via Zac Brown and Kenny Chesney and the like. Plus I'm always amazed at how many younger folks identify with it. When Jimmy said "We are the people our parents warned us about" he was really onto something! It just seems to weaving through generations. I just hope that in 5 or 10 years I can still be a part of it.

Anything else you would like people to know about you?

I just want folks to know how much we appreciate the support from Trop Rock fans for all these years. It's more fun each year......and hey.....I'll keep on singing those songs till y'all get tired of hearing them!

Thanks, Dennis - see you "on the road"!

Thanks so much for taking the time to interview me Fred!! It's been a lot of fun!

http://www.tropicalsoul.net/home.html

Reply to:

Reply to TrpclSoul@aol.com

Reply to TrpclSoul@aol.com

Send