Last I talked to him, he was not feeling very well and didn't know if he was going to head south by last Thursday as planned. I hope he is feeling better....also hope he is not putting himself at risk by traveling before he is well. Eddie
Last I talked to him, he was not feeling very well and didn't know if he was going to head south by last Thursday as planned. I hope he is feeling better....also hope he is not putting himself at risk by traveling before he is well. Eddie
He is still fighting the viral infection. He already had very weak lungs and this has hit him pretty hard. I talked with him yesterday and they were getting things ready to read out for Florida asap. He is feeling a little better.
It's nearly 9 p.m., I just checked in at the Holiday Inn Express Myrtle Beach, SC, dog tired, but I should be OK by morning. Carol and I had dinner at the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club, where I performed 2 years ago on my sail to the south. They want to know if I can stop by and do a one nighter for them on my trip back in March. Why not!
Photos and stuff to be posted soon.
Eddie, Hope to see you in about three days if everything goes well.
Have a good one, Gary. I'm looking forward to a little of that Florida sunshine myself (Tampa area)....not as warm as South Florida but better than Atlanta. Don't overdo it.
A few more days of this cold weather and I'm jumping into the old Expedition and heading South. Souther. It was actually below freezing here a couple of nights ago, and it may be several more days before we reach 60 again.\ BRRRRRR! I'm getting a lot done though. Setting up new laptop and new PC, cleaning and rearranging office/studio, plus working Tuesday through Saturday nights. One of my neighbor/friends mowed his lawn today, in 39 degree weather with light rain. Coincidentally, he's a bass player. Gary, take it easy until you get your strength back. Make Carol load the Rock N Roller.
Posted by: Anonymous
Re: Where in the world is Gary - 01/12/1506:29 AM
Have a good journey. I just checked again how it gets warmer and warmer further south in January, and how much it changes within Florida. 57F/36F in Myrtle Beach,SC, already 65/46 in Jacksonville, 71/50 in Orlando and 74/62 in Miami. Really a nice place to spend the winter...
I just arrived at Hilton Head Island and meeting up with the folks I played music for their barefoot wedding aboard their boat. I have a case of Margaretta stuff with me and we're gonna party.
66 degrees here, but it was 12 when I left home. OH YEAH!
I'm in Stuart. FL, 72 degrees, turned on the AC, Eddie Shoemaker and I will be meeting up for dinner in a few minutes. Love the sight of those Palm trees, boganvilia flowers, Spanish moss, OH YEAH!
I'm in Stuart. FL, 72 degrees, turned on the AC, Eddie Shoemaker and I will be meeting up for dinner in a few minutes. Love the sight of those Palm trees, boganvilia flowers, Spanish moss, OH YEAH!
Eat your heart out Donny,
Gary
hahahah.....Gary enjoy glad to see your feeling better buddy...say hello to Eddie....even though I'm not a big fan of Florida heat I still wish I was there with you guys enjoy!!! take Pics & Videos.
I just realized that you would have enjoyed my "stranded in snow country" experience. But -30 windchill would have seen you just as I was, in front of the fireplace hooked up to the recorder while singing and playing the keyboard. Gary,
Got to watch Eddie Shoemaker perform tonight at the Stuart Elks, he did an excellent job, good turnout, and he used a single Bose L1 Compact, plus a small monitor. The L1 Compact carried the large room with outstanding results, falloff was so minimal that it was almost imperceptible. Eddie is a great entertainer, does an excellent job of reading the crowd, and everyone there loved his music.
I wish to sincerely thank Ed and Carol for their generous hospitality and hopefully we will see them again next October when I, health permitting, sail back to the Keys.
Bright and early tomorrow (sometime after 10 a.m.) Carol and I will be headed across the state to Punta Gorda to meet with some cruising friends I met two years ago when I sailed my boat to the keys. These folks live aboard a 37-foot Morgan sailboat and sailed to the Florida Keys all the way from Detroit. It took them nearly 3 months to make the trip.
I'm in Punta Gorda, performed at the Fisherman's Village Marina this evening - too dark for photos, but some of the ladies did shoot some that I don't have access to. Good crowd, about 50 people on the "B" Dock, did two plus hours, had a fantastic dinner at the marina restaurant, met with some old friends, drank some Jim Beam Honey, and checked in at the Holiday Inn Express about 40 minutes ago.
Tomorrow, breakfast with our friends, then off to the Keys. About a 6 hour drive from here. If I feel OK, I'll be playing in the Tiki Hut tomorrow evening at the City Marina in Marathon. I have my voice back, but still a bit short on lung capacity for carrying the longer notes. I can hide it from the audiences right now, and with luck I will improve over time. At least I hope that's the case.
BTW: Last night, Eddie Shoemaker did one of the best renditions of Honky Tonk Part II that I've ever heard. I sincerely hope that he records it one day and posts it here. Eddie is a really great musician.
Yeah, I noticed that. They have all this green stuff on them. I think they're called leaves, something they don't have this time of year back home. Sure purdy, though.
Yep, finally got the wifi to work here at the house we're renting, the weather is fantastic, light winds, crystal clear blue skies, turquoise colored water, swaying coconut palms, 73 degrees. I'm playing at the Marathon City Marina Tiki Hut Saturday nights, and I'll probably line up two more locations to play weekly. I'm not here to work - I'm here to piss away the children's inheritance, and doing a damned good job of it.
I'll shoot some photos and post them in a few minutes, but for some strange reason, the card reader on my PC will not read the video files. Guess I'll have to buy a USB cable for the video camera so I can post some vids.
Yep, finally got the wifi to work here at the house we're renting, the weather is fantastic, light winds, crystal clear blue skies, turquoise colored water, swaying coconut palms, 73 degrees. I'm playing at the Marathon City Marina Tiki Hut Saturday nights, and I'll probably line up two more locations to play weekly. I'm not here to work - I'm here to piss away the children's inheritance, and doing a damned good job of it.
I'll shoot some photos and post them in a few minutes, but for some strange reason, the card reader on my PC will not read the video files. Guess I'll have to buy a USB cable for the video camera so I can post some vids.
Gary
Great news Gary....cant wait to see he videos and pics... have a great time in the SUN (jealous)!!
Real nice Gary bet you wish you had your sailboat with ya also........gonna rent something to sail down there or? btw thanx for the great pics More More !!
Donny, sailboat rentals, for one the size of mine, averages $800 to $1,000 a day. I can wait till I get home for sailing. Besides, I'll be sailing my boat back down here next October.
Tony, C'mon down - we have lots of room for you and Lydia.
Just got back from a 5-mile bicycle ride - damned I must be old because I had to stop and take a break at 2.5 miles. Thank goodness there are no hills here. Saw lots of neat stuff on the ride, for which they have a special bike lane. Lots of neat gals jogging, watched a pelican swoop down into Vaca Cut and grab a big fish, then threw it in the air and swallowed it in a single gulp. That fish was huge, but that pelican just wolfed it down like it was slurping an oyster out of the half-shell.
I seriously doubt that I will host a Synthzone Jam here - just not enough interest. That's OK, though. I have lots of other things to do and loads of folks to visit.
Carol and I just walked out on the dock, sat down on the bench and just a few yards away a pair of 1,000-pound manatees were carousing on the canal's surface. Then a few pelicans arrived on the scene, followed by someone's great dane that trotted into the back yard for a quick visit. Raining right now, but that should be gone soon.
Carol and I just walked out on the dock, sat down on the bench and just a few yards away a pair of 1,000-pound manatees were carousing on the canal's surface. Then a few pelicans arrived on the scene, followed by someone's great dane that trotted into the back yard for a quick visit. Raining right now, but that should be gone soon.
Gary
while sitting there were you thinking of a more permanent resident with your sail boat tied up right outside....... oh baby!
We're renting from the guy that purchased the house a year ago for $440,000, Tony. He's a doctor in Ohio and really did a great job with this place. Keep in mind those google photos are a couple years old most of the time.
Donny, I would move here in a heartbeat, but Carol wants to be near her and our families. So, the next best thing is doing what we are now doing, or living aboard the boat while at one of the marinas.
Another beautiful day in the Florida Keys, temperature is about 72, and I'm headed out for a short (5-mile) bike ride. Attached are some photos from yesterday.
Saturday night while I'm jamming at the tiki hut is when they usually show up, Tony. I'll have to get Carol to shoot the photos, though - I'll be too busy rocking the house.
One of the most beautiful sights in the keys is the nightly sunsets - no place in the US can rival what we see here every evening. This was the view from our dock last night.
All they have to do, Tony, is post some pics. I've been in nearly every state in the US and a lot of foreign countries and never found anything close to the sunsets down here. And, this and the Bahamas is the only part of the globe where you can witness the Green Flash. I've seen it a couple times and it's pretty spectacular.
I'm with Tony. Watching humpback whales breech while sipping a mai tai from the upper lanai of our home in Hawaii was pretty spectacular as well. Plus, best surfing beach on the island just 5 minutes down the road....some pretty good bikini-watching there as well. Eye of the beholder....but glad you're enjoying yourself.
I've only seen the green flash a couple times, but it was really neat. Had nothing to do with the Margarettas, but after a couple drinks the flash seemed to look greener.
Chas, the only whales we see here are right whales, of which I've been fairly close to in the sailboat. Believe me, it can be a bit intimidating when they surface 20 feet away. Their eyes look like they are the size of a trash can lid. Scary!
I'm with Tony. Watching humpback whales breech while sipping a mai tai from the upper lanai of our home in Hawaii was pretty spectacular as well. Plus, best surfing beach on the island just 5 minutes down the road....some pretty good bikini-watching there as well. Eye of the beholder....but glad you're enjoying yourself. chas
chas ... I was thinking of Hawaii also ... it was amazing how people would come out of the hotels onto the beach to see the sunset ... absolutely beautiful ... And I cannot say that I have seen the 'most beautiful' sunrise/sunset anywhere because I've actually seen some great sunsets right here in l'il ol rhody ...
And at this point in my life, I am going to enjoy where I am, and what I'm doing at the moment I'm doing it ... unless it's shoveling snow !!! ... life gets shorter every day ...
As the song title says "Oh what a night." Sunshine and 74 degree temperatures most of the day, rode the bicycle 5 miles, which began great because I was riding with a 25 MPH wind at my back - coming home was a real bear, though.
Some friends gave us 10 red-mouthed snapper fillets, which Carol fixed by dipping them in eggs and rolling them in cracker crumbs made from Ritz crackers. Add some fresh country style potato salad, mac salad and washed it down with a Green Coconut Margaretta - OH YEAH!
If the weather cooperates, tomorrow night I'll be at the Marathon City Marina Tiki Hut performing from 6 till 10 p.m. The weather forecast is for rain in the morning, hopefully ending about mid afternoon. (Fingers crossed) Lots of folks at the marina are really looking forward to the event, and I believe there will be a couple hundred cruisers there, at least that's the way it looks right now. If the weather turns to crap, we may have to postpone till Sunday night.
I spent most of the day being Don Mason, pretty much doing nothing but watching the world go by. I did, however, play the S-950 for a couple hours. I really love that keyboard.
I spent most of the day being Don Mason, pretty much doing nothing but watching the world go by. I did, however, play the S-950 for a couple hours. I really love that keyboard. Cheers, Gary
A nasty cold front blew through the Florida keys this afternoon, temperatures fell to the upper 50s and I thought I would freeze to death while performing this evening. It was so cold and windy that only a handful of folks came to the Tiki hut to hear me, but this will all change with warmer weather in the next few days.
I hate it when the temperature is lower than my age!
That Green Coconut Margarita on top of the keyboard scares the crap out of me especially with that wind out there ...that said:
Real Nice job Gary on one of my favorite Kenny Rogers songs thanx for taking the time to record a video keep them coming throughout your stay in Paradise .... we can all learn something from viewing them.
And tell the lovely Carol she's a fantastic videographer too!!
It was incredible today, temperature hit 75, still a bit too chilly for shorts because of the wind, but really nice. Played a private party tonight for some old friends, some of their neighbors came and we had a ball. Three hours non-stop, no breaks, and I was able to handle every single request. Love those kind of jobs.
This is a short, and not very good video of where I played tonight. It's a tropical garden at an old friend's home in Big Pine Key, just south of Marathon. The camera doesn't do the gardens justice, and I will try to get some stills the next time I'm there. The place was incredible.
Beginning next Monday evening, I'll be performing at Cabana Breeze Resort, which is 150 yards from where we are staying. Nice place, great food, reasonable prices.
Beginning next Monday evening, I'll be performing at Cabana Breeze Resort, which is 150 yards from where we are staying. Nice place, great food, reasonable prices.
Gary good luck buddy looks amazing there .....have a great time at the gig,.. while were here freezing in this ice/snow blizzard ......... and as always take Pics videos, of you & the crowd thanx!!
Had an interesting evening. I walked out on the dock where the next door neighbor has an underwater light suspended from his dock, about 10 feet away. Lots of tiny minnows attracted to the light and some angel jacks were nipping at the minnows. All of the sudden a 10-foot bull shark ripped through the jacks right next to the dock - WOW! These things can be very dangerous and aggressive.
No, Tony, I was standing on the dock and that is an underwater shot I pulled from the net. It was just beneath the surface and two feet from where I was standing - believe me it got my undivided attention. I wouldn't want to be in an inflatable dinghy with that shark anywhere in the area. They are real nasty SOBs.
Thanks guys. One of the things I've discovered in my travels is that there are very few arranger keyboard players in the Florida Keys. Apparently, I'm the only one on Marathon, there is one in Big Pine, one in Key West, and one in Key Largo - that's it. The guy in Key West is booked every day of the week, as is the guy in Key Largo. I just got here two weeks ago and I'm booked three days a week.
Essentially, arranger keyboard players are an unknown quantity here, but once established, they're in high demand. Guitar players, piano players, DJs and KJs are a dime a dozen here, and from those I've met, most make $50 to $75 a night, where the keyboard players are hauling in $100 to $200 a night, plus tips, for three hours. To my knowledge, all of these keyboard players are pretty good vocalists as well, which has to be a big plus. Most of the guitar players are singers as well, but they tend to all try and sound like Randy Travis or Willie Nelson and need some lessons in diction and phrasing. And, most of the non-keyboard players take excessively long breaks, at least that's what the folks doing the hiring tell me.
I got a call this morning and was asked if I would be returning next fall, which I will. I was then told that I would have a job as soon as I arrived playing one of the local restaurants every Wednesday and Saturday - NEAT! Guess I must be doing something right.
Thanks guys. One of the things I've discovered in my travels is that there are very few arranger keyboard players in the Florida Keys. Apparently, I'm the only one on Marathon, there is one in Big Pine, one in Key West, and one in Key Largo - that's it. The guy in Key West is booked every day of the week, as is the guy in Key Largo. I just got here two weeks ago and I'm booked three days a week.
Essentially, arranger keyboard players are an unknown quantity here, but once established, they're in high demand. Guitar players, piano players, DJs and KJs are a dime a dozen here, and from those I've met, most make $50 to $75 a night, where the keyboard players are hauling in $100 to $200 a night, plus tips, for three hours. To my knowledge, all of these keyboard players are pretty good vocalists as well, which has to be a big plus. Most of the guitar players are singers as well, but they tend to all try and sound like Randy Travis or Willie Nelson and need some lessons in diction and phrasing. And, most of the non-keyboard players take excessively long breaks, at least that's what the folks doing the hiring tell me.
I got a call this morning and was asked if I would be returning next fall, which I will. I was then told that I would have a job as soon as I arrived playing one of the local restaurants every Wednesday and Saturday - NEAT! Guess I must be doing something right.
Cheers,
Gary
Time to MOVE permanently south....enjoy your life's dreams buddy while you can!! Arranger KB & palm trees its a No Brainer!!
Chas, I'm sure glad that Carol doesn't frequent this forum - I have to sleep sometime.
Tony, the kids, at least for the time being, are stuck in Maryland. Jobs, schools, etc..., stuff I no longer have to worry about. So, while they would love to live down here, it just ain't gonna happen.
It's a rainy day in the Florida Keys, but only light rain. Temperature is just 69 degrees after the cold front passed, and I got to go outside and video what it looks like every morning when I walk out on the patio and enjoy breakfast.
And here's what we use for a door stop in the Florida Keys
Last night my wife and I, plus two friends whom are staying with us till the weather improves and they can sail their boat to Bimini, went to dinner at Bahama Breeze. At 6:20 a guitar player stepped on stage, fired up his electric guitar and kicked off with a somewhat Caribbean routine. He used a cheap drum machine triggered with a foot switch, sang through a Shure SM58, and he used a pair of 10-inch Fender speakers which sat on the floor.
The first few songs drew some minor applause, then after about the third song, all of which sounded a lot alike, the applause stopped. He might have got $5 in tips while I was there, and that was early on. We were there about an hour and a half, the style never really changed, though the songs did - all where performed using the same strumming style. When he slaughtered Can't Help Falling In Love With You using a Caribbean style guitar playing, I had to leave - IT WAS REALLY BAD!
Today, I hung up a full color poster on the restaurant window, announcing that I would be there at 6 p.m. Monday evening. The day bar manager said to me "Wow! Are you the keyboard players from the City Marina? I said yes. She shook my hand, gave me a high five and said "It's my night off, but I will be here and bring my husband. I really love your music."
This will be my fist time here, but after what I've seen throughout the island for the past two weeks, I think I will pack the place and hold the crowd, which is what the management would like to see happen. I'll ask Carol to video some of the performance and if it turns out OK, I'll post it.
Here's one of the local bands, a guy that is booked a couple times a week and everyone thinks he's got a heavy calendar. If you look at his schedule, most of the NH circuit guys I know book more in a single month than his band does all year. And, every song sounds damned near identical. In fact, he sounds a lot like the guy at the restaurant a few nights ago. I'll let you be the judge.
Well, the positives are, the band is pretty tight, and fairly talented, balance is good. I'm not familiar with the song and google showed several songs named Stranded, but not this one, so maybe it is original. Down side is, there is not a big audience for unknown bands playing originals, outside of family and friends. I can't see people dancing to it, and I can't see it appealing to older people, who, one would think, probably comprise most of the audience in a retirement area such as South Florida. As Gary has suggested, they probably wouldn't hold an audience of this type for long.
I was hoping to shoot some vids tonight at the Marina performance, but some dumbass (me) forgot to put new batteries in the camera. Monday night I'll try again.
Sure, to me, they'd be a bit of a fish out of water with senior audiences, but if that's the bulk of work in the area, then they gotta take what's there. And, as you say, Gary, they are booked.
They may not be able, nor want, to up stakes and move somewhere else, so good luck to them.
Guys like us like to do the familiar stuff and there's always a 'demand' for it - y'know, give 'em what they want and all that. But it's not everyone's chosen path, and I kinda have a sneaking admiration for those who write and perform their own stuff.
In reality, most of the audiences here are in the senior category, 50 to 80 years of age is the average. And, if you look at their booking calendar, most are not booked more than one time at a single location during the season. The one that I posted a link for is based out of Ohio, so I guess they're supplementing their vacation income with some jobs in the sunny south.
Last night, the winds howled from the east, temperatures dropped into the low 60s and it was really cold at the marina Tiki Hut. Had a small audience, but this will quickly change with an improvement in the weather.
He must be doing something right. He's popular with the younger crowd. He's has a lot of gigs in six or seven states. The video is an amateur video shot off- the-cuff in a living room.
Awesome night tonight. I performed from 6 till 9 p.m. at Cabana Breezes, there were about 75 people there, many stayed after finishing dinner and happy hour, the staff loved the music and so did the audience. Ironically, I was asked by a very young lady behind the bar to play some Sinatra songs, which I did, and a 12-year old boy asked for Cats In The Cradle. I was floored when the kid asked for that song, which I had not performed in many years. I fired up and did it, missed a few chords early on, but into the second verse I nailed it. His mother came up and put a 10 in the tip pitcher and thanked me.
Friday will be the big challenge at the Hyatt, but I think I can wow them there as well.
Awesome night tonight. I performed from 6 till 9 p.m. at Cabana Breezes, there were about 75 people there, many stayed after finishing dinner and happy hour, the staff loved the music and so did the audience. Ironically, I was asked by a very young lady behind the bar to play some Sinatra songs, which I did, and a 12-year old boy asked for Cats In The Cradle. I was floored when the kid asked for that song, which I had not performed in many years. I fired up and did it, missed a few chords early on, but into the second verse I nailed it. His mother came up and put a 10 in the tip pitcher and thanked me.
Friday will be the big challenge at the Hyatt, but I think I can wow them there as well.
Another fun day in Paradise,
Gary
sounds like a great fun gig in paradise ....Videos?
be glad your in FLorida.....here is whats coming for us Monday....
Winter Storm Watch in effect from Monday, 6:00 PM EST until Tuesday, 12:00 PM EST. Source: U.S. National Weather Service...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM EST MONDAY ......WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY EVENING THROUGHTUESDAY MORNING ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY HAS ISSUED A WINTERSTORM WATCH, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY EVENING THROUGHTUESDAY MORNING.* HAZARD TYPES ...DANGEROUS COLD, THEN POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANTACCUMULATING SNOW MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY.* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ...5 TO 8 INCHES POSSIBLE.* WIND CHILL VALUES ...AS LOW AS 15 TO 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO.* TIMING ...THE LOWEST WIND CHILL VALUES WILL OCCUR FROM LATERTONIGHT INTO EARLY MONDAY MORNING. SNOW SHOULD OVERSPREAD THEAREA MONDAY EVENING BEFORE TAPERING OFF AROUND MIDDAY TUESDAY.THERE COULD BE A PERIOD OF HEAVY SNOW.* TEMPERATURES ...DROPPING TO 1 BELOW TO 4 ABOVE ZERO THROUGH EARLYMONDAY MORNING.* WIND ...NORTHWEST AT 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH THISAFTERNOON, THEN DECREASING TO 15 TO 20 MPH THROUGH TONIGHT.* IMPACTS ...THE DANGEROUSLY COLD CONDITIONS MAY LEAD TO FROSTBITEAND HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN. AN ACCUMULATINGSNOWFALL MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY COULD RESULT IN HAZARDOUSCONDITIONS.* VISIBILITIES ...REDUCED TO ONE HALF MILE OR LESS AT TIMES MONDAYNIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS ...A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT VERY COLD AIR AND BRISK WINDSWILL COMBINE TO GENERATE LOW WIND CHILL VALUES. FROSTBITE ANDHYPOTHERMIA MAY OCCUR IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN. IF YOU MUSTVENTURE OUTDOORS, MAKE SURE TO DRESS IN LAYERS AND COVER EXPOSEDSKIN.A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANTSNOW ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITORTHE LATEST FORECASTS.
It's 75 here now, but gonna dip down to 70 tonight - Brrrrrrrr!
Playing at Cabana Breezes tonight, 6 till 9. Might have to take a sweater. Its an outdoor job, Mardis Gras theme tonight, but mostly the same stuff I normally play and sing. Should be a good crowd if the weather forecast holds.
It's 75 here now, but gonna dip down to 70 tonight - Brrrrrrrr!
Playing at Cabana Breezes tonight, 6 till 9. Might have to take a sweater. Its an outdoor job, Mardis Gras theme tonight, but mostly the same stuff I normally play and sing. Should be a good crowd if the weather forecast holds.
Gary
don't forget the batteries in the video camera I wanna see what 70 degrees looks like again!!
Tony, I asked about that and they said that they put the stuff together 4 months ago and they will not change anything till the tourist seasons ends in April. Apparently, they hire someone to do all that for them and it's quite expensive.
Here's a short video of the location I performed tonight and the setup.
This was the first song I performed, mainly because someone with the staff said they were celebrating Mardis Gras and wanted some Cajun music early on. I ended up doing about a half dozen Cajun songs, and that was more than enough.
I was able to keep people on the dance floor most of the night, almost with every song. So I guess I was doing something right.
Here's a short video of the location I performed tonight and the setup.
This was the first song I performed, mainly because someone with the staff said they were celebrating Mardis Gras and wanted some Cajun music early on. I ended up doing about a half dozen Cajun songs, and that was more than enough.
I was able to keep people on the dance floor most of the night, almost with every song. So I guess I was doing something right.
Gary
Gary looks liek a great time for all...sounding good buddy Kickin ass baby Yeah!! More More More!!! .......Thanx for the videos.. wish I was there ! Snow is coming down now hard Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr here..
Donny, I'm having a ball down here, and sure glad I'm not in the frozen north right now. I got a forwarded call last night from the snow plow service who wanted to know if I needed the driveway plowed. I told him maybe next winter, but not sure yet.
A cold front ripped through the Florida Keys last night, bringing with it record low temperatures and very high winds. The wind knocked down lots of coconuts during the night, which produced a loud thud when the struck the ground. It got my undivided attention when they began falling about 3 a.m..
This morning, we had some visitors foraging the lawn for breakfast - snowy egrets.
Earlier this morning, some iguanas began falling from the trees because they were so cold they could no longer hold on to their lofty perches. I don't think they were injured because they slowly crawled to a sunny spot to get warm, then crawled back into the trees.
Since early January we been mid 40's to high 50's with some 60° days. This has to be an all time record for me anyway since 1976 in the Grand Junction Colorado area. Hadn't missed but one or two rainy days hiking the hill trails with my puppies since the third week of October.
Posted by: Anonymous
Re: Where in the world is Gary - 02/19/1512:17 PM
I don't know if Gary will ever get used to a northern climate again, since according to the weather services I use the minimum temperature in Marathon was still 52F this morning. A bit further north in central South Florida however, Lake Okeechobee nearly had freezing with 36F, so being an alligator it's probably better to stay below the surface at the moment.
Posted by: Anonymous
Re: Where in the world is Gary - 02/20/1507:47 AM
Wow, really nippy on the Florida Keys this morning according to Wetteronline.de, only in the mid 40s! Very rare! Lake Okeechobee finally hit freezing temperature with 30F! But Gary will enjoy a boost of temperatures on the weekend again...
Ian, about 30 percent of the folks here come from Canada, and some never go home other than to sell their homes in Canada.
Ah well, Gary, to each his own...I really like the varied climate where I live (yes, even the snow and cold temperatures)...I turned down several chances to move south years ago...I don't regret it.
Donny, the cost of living here in Paradise is beyond our means, so it looks like Carol and I will be stuck in the frozen north for the foreseeable future.
Ian, glad you like those drastic changes in climate. For me, 75 to 85 is just fine.
Donny, the cost of living here in Paradise is beyond our means, so it looks like Carol and I will be stuck in the frozen north for the foreseeable future.
Ian, glad you like those drastic changes in climate. For me, 75 to 85 is just fine.
Gary
Hey, I was always aware of the high cost, which was only one of the reasons I never moved south.
I like spending my resources on things I love to do (of course, so do you), and not needing to work ( but being able to choose to get some perks over and above what my pension provides) is important to me...you simply don't get "free" time for free.
So I'm very comfortable by choosing to live where the cost of living is very low, as is the crime rate and pollution, and, I get lots of quality time to spend on my Tyros without the pressure of deadlines and/or schedules.
Being single has also worked in my favor, as I only have to look after me and I make all the decisions...and, there are no complaints.
Since retirement, even working in the studio has become more relaxed, and, due to less need of juggling schedules (due to gigging conflicts) we actually make a higher profit because work flow is more efficient...my work partner started his pension last month.
The variations in weather actually work in my favor, as they make me appreciate (and go out and enjoy) the more clement weather, and teach me to take advantage of the inclement stuff by finding interesting indoor projects.
I'm glad you are enjoying your respite from the icky weather...in a few months you'll be basking in the sunshine on your home turf.
Larry, Vero Beach is a really nice place. I stopped there two years ago when I sailed down and back from the keys. The locals call it velcro beach because once you go there, you seem to be stuck there forever.
Had a great night last night at Hyatt Place, Marathon , somewhere around 80 to 100 ppl in the bar and restaurant, and I kept the place rocking for three hours plus. The crowd didn't want me to stop, but I was running out of gas by 9:30 and was only supposed to play till 9:00 p.m..
The only mishap was when a very shapely young lady was shaking a lot of body parts close to the keyboard and holding her drink, which was sloshing around. Some splashed on the keys, and I quickly asked her to please move a bit farther away, which she did. I have a sign on the keyboard stand that clearly states "No food or drinks in this area - please" but as you would expect, no one ever seems to notice or respect the sign. Kinda like stop signs and red lights here - they're only a suggestion.
While this young lady appeared to be quite young, she was actually 28 years old and the town's veterinarian. She looked like she wasn't older than 16 at best. She asked if she could sing a song, and I told her only if she sat in my lap to sing it. She smiled and said "no, but thanks for the offer." Her boyfriend came in just five minutes later - could have been a bad scene. I, obviously, was just kidding around with her and would not have allowed her to sing or sit in my lap. Besides, Carol was just 10 feet away and would have shot me.
When I packed up to leave, the wait staff asked why I was leaving so soon. They wanted to know if I could play till closing time, which was 11 p.m.. Not a prayer - that would have been a 5 hour gig.
The tips were mediocre at best, and I guess that's typical in a place like this where everything is very expensive. I guess they all believe I make big bucks for the performance. And, while I among the highest paid entertainers on the island, the pay is no different than downtown Baltimore. Well, a little better than Baltimore, but not much.
The only mishap was when a very shapely young lady was shaking a lot of body parts close to the keyboard and holding her drink, which was sloshing around. Some splashed on the keys, and I quickly asked her to please move a bit farther away, which she did. I have a sign on the keyboard stand that clearly states "No food or drinks in this area - please" but as you would expect, no one ever seems to notice or respect the sign.Gary
Looks like you handled it a lot better than Afroman. This is disgusting. If you can't handle a tipsy (but harmless) customer, you shouldn't be in the entertainment business. JMO.
Today, we had a new visitor at the dock - something I've never seen in the wild - a nudibranch. It was coal black and about 12 inches in length, foraging among the oyster shells attached to the pilings. An absolutely fascinating creature to watch.
She obviously had no right being on the stage -where was security? - but after he clocked her and saw who he hit, he just went back to playing as if nothing happened ?!?
Tony, I would hope that lady pressed charges against him for assault and his ass is awaiting trial or in jail. There was absolutely no cause for doing what he did, even if the lady was drunk and obnoxious.
Another photo of the creature at my dock today. This is the first nudibranch I've seen in the wild and I've been on the water for more than 60 years. Fortunately, the inquisitive pelican figured this was something it did not want to eat, or mess with.
Here's where I performed tonight. I was asked by the owner to play a Sunday night jam, and each entertainer has to sign up and only perform three songs. I ended up doing four.
There were a lot of very talented individuals there, most of which sang and played guitar. However, there was a fiddle player
Sorry, no vids of me - Carol only shot stills while I played. The audience loved what I did and wanted to know if I would be back next Sunday.
Looks like they NEED Travelin' Easy performing there NOW!!!!
Would love to see your video performance there or anywhere next time Gary..... thanx for sharing it's keeping us North Easterners very warm listening......!!
I hate it when you are three hours from performance time and you unexpectedly discover that you're not playing tonight. Yep, that's what happened. I was asked by the management of Cabana Breezes to provide them with a larger and more generic poster so they could hang it on the restaurant window where everyone would see it. I went online, brought up Vista Print, and within six days had some really nice 11 X 17 inch posters delivered to my post office box down here in Paradise. I went to the job to hang one and the waitress said "Gary, did anyone tell you about tonight?" "Nope." "They're holding a fund raiser here tonight and hired a local DJ for the job. You'll be here next Monday, though." That was at 3 this afternoon, and I was supposed to start at 6 p.m.. Fortunately, I had not loaded the van with the gear yet.
Unfortunately, in this business, the musician/entertainer is the last person to find out about changes made by the folks that hire them. Same kind of stuff happens with every band that I know of, especially guys doing weddings. There's always some last minute changes being made by the bride when it comes to the music. Oh well, $hit happens.
In my almost 60 years in this business (did I just say that ) I have had the good fortune of meeting 4 venue owners/managers who actually cared about the musicians ... but that is a rare thing indeed ...
Summer returned to the Florida Keys yesterday, with temperatures in the mid 80s, sunny, and I went fishing with an old friend that I went to middle school with. We had a great day, caught a cooler chest full of porgy and grunt to 11 inches in length, fillet them up and had a great supper of fresh fish fillets and parsley potatoes.
I talked with DonM this morning, he's experiencing some up north weather with about 4 inches of snow on the ground at that time in Benton, LA - WOW! Don's grandson was outside making a snowman. I think he was sculpting Al Gore's face on the snowman.
Pretty much everything in LA shuts down when the threat of snow occurs. Keep in mind in that part of the world snow blowers and snow plows do not exist. Consequently, schools, government buildings, and many businesses just close their doors and await warmer weather, which could be the following afternoon.
All you Yankees try and stay warm - I'm headed out to the dock in the backyard to see if I can catch dinner and darken my tan.
In my almost 60 years in this business (did I just say that ) I have had the good fortune of meeting 4 venue owners/managers who actually cared about the musicians ... but that is a rare thing indeed ...
Let's see, that's about 4 more than I've met. However, when I owned my owned night club, I WAS one. I found some of the musicians were quite hard to care about though!
Gary, yes, mother nature hit us with a good snow day. However, it only lasted a few hours because the temperature never fell below 32. It will refreeze in a few hours though and roads will have some slick spots. Other than a little sand on some city bridges, people are left to their own devices as far as driving. All schools and government offices have been closed THREE DAYS because of a little sleet and today's snow. Of course everyone is out driving and playing in it. Temperature is forecast for 70 degrees again by Saturday.
Posted by: Anonymous
Re: Where in the world is Gary - 02/25/1501:54 PM
It's a pity all the US snow can't be transferred to the mountains in my region, where some more skiing areas might have to abandon their business after too many warm winters...
Just walked out on the dock to see what sea creatures the underwater light next door attracted. This time I took the Video Camera. Thought you guys may be interested in seeing this.
Got an email from home a few minutes ago, a photo of Dewey Beach, Delaware taken a few days ago. The captain was guess what just washed up on Dewey Beach?
The forecast for my part of Maryland is 8 plus inches of snow, temperatures falling to 7 degrees, followed by freezing rain. Yuck!
The forecast for here in Paradise is clear, sunny, temperatures in the upper 70s. OH YEAH!
Monday night was a lot of fun at Cabana Breezes where I managed to keep about 100 patrons at the bar after happy hour ended and they stayed till about 9:30 when I performed my last song of the evening. They didn't want me to stop, but after 3-1/2 hours with only two five minute breaks, I was worn out. It was a jumping night, lots of folks dancing and the Margarettas flowed.
There was a guitar player at Cabana Breezes tonight. He was very good, reasonable singer, but often sang a bit above his comfort level and used the pull-away technique when he had to hit a note outside his vocal range. His name is Billy Washburn and I'm guessing his age at about 45. He's from Chicago and plays 7 days a week, both here and there. He's at both locations six months a year.
His rig was fairly simple, a Bose L1 Model II, an MP3 player for his backing tracks, and he had the lyrics loaded in his I-phone. His dead time between songs was a bit lengthy, maybe 60 seconds or so, but his song selection was excellent - darned near identical to mine. Similar to others I've seen using an I-phone, it was mounted on what appeared to be a flimsy mic/music stand in a bracket, and it bounced around a lot when he used the touch screen.
I told Carol "You know he must be a pro - he hauled his gear in on an R-10 Rock and Roller cart.
PS ... how did you do yesterday? ... another 10" here ...
10+" here Tony we got slammed big time with snow down the shore ......roads are passable now sun is out...... all gigs were cancelled for 2 days.... back on stage sat,sun, & mon again
Donny, my back went out a few days ago, I can barely walk, and Carol may have drive the entire trip home with me in the passenger seat. I'm taking lots of pain pills, but they don't seem to be working. I just hope I can do my last four jobs down here before heading north. Sure is a nice place to live, though. And, I was told by the wait staff at the Hyatt that they wish I were playing there every night because the dining crowd tends to stay as long as I'm playing. When the music stops, the building empties and it's still a couple hours till last call. I guess I must be doing something right. Even the wait staff puts tips in my tip pitcher.
Tonight, at Bahama Breezes, I had the younger crowd. They loved what I played, I kept them on the dancefloor, and they stayed till last call. The one thing I quickly discovered about the 20 somthings and early 30 somethings was - THEY DON'T TIP WORTH A DAMNED! When the older crowds of tourists are there, the tip jar is overflowing. The younger set told me they loved the music, wanted to know if I would return next week, but tip - not a prayer. So, all you guys that want to play to the younger crowds, you can have my share of them. They're nice to look at, but they're broke.
Jerry, the weather here this time of year is incredible. Temperatures in the 70s to low 80s, humidity fairly low, about 40 percent, never seems to rain in the Keys during the winter months, lots of neat things to do and see.
As for entertainers, most are seasonal have guitar will travel guys, some are fairly good, but most are not diversified. The pay scale here has finally rose to what it is in the mid Atlantic region, about $150 for three hours. The nursing home jobs are really low, though, average $35 to 50 an hour, which, ironically, is the same scale at the nite clubs and restaurants.
During the height of tourist season, November through March, tips can be pretty good, averaging $75 to $100 a night, but when the older tourists leave, also known as snowbirds, those tips end.
Summer in the Keys is about the same as summer in Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware. However, it's not nearly as hot or humid here as it is in Baltimore, Philly or Virginia Beach. And, there's always a good breeze coming off the ocean. North of the keys, the weather is different - very hot and humid during mid summer.
The cost of housing here is only a bit higher than anywhere else in the nation. The most expensive commodity is water and electricity in the keys. Taxes are relatively low, and some taxes do not exist here.
Most everyone I've met has been very friendly, but that's typical in the deep south. The only reason I didn't move here 35 years ago was my wife did not want to be that far away from our children.
Here's the place where Carol and I had dinner tonight. Lousy pizza, greasy conch fritters, a two-piece steel band that sounded like a couple high school kids that were just learning to play steel drums. Both had to read the sheets, timing was awful, and I could not imagine sitting through 3 hours of this stuff.
Here's the view of the front of the restaurant.
Here's the view from the rear that the musicians get to see beyond the inside tables.
Gonna head home Wednesday - really hate to leave this place, but with luck, I'll be here again this coming November and stay till March 2016.
Tonight I performed my final job for the season in Marathon Key, Florida. Had a huge crowd, probably more than 100 ppl at one point, most of them stayed around long after happy hour, which made the waitstaff and bar tenders very, very happy. When I announced that I was headed north and wouldn't be back till November, there were several ladies that came up and gave me hugs and kisses (Carol was only a few feet away.), the tip jar filled up pretty good, and they wanted me to play longer, but there is an ordinance here that carries a hefty fine for playing after a certain time of night. And, yes, they do enforce it with their two man police force.
Bright and early Wednesday morning, I'll be headed north and with luck should arrive in the frozen wilds of Maryland late Thursday night or mid day Friday. I can vividly recall when I made this trip straight through, but I was very young then. As soon as the van is unloaded, I have to fix a burst pipe in my heating system, then go through tons of mail, pay some bills, the usual stuff, then do the taxes. UGH!
The worse part of Florida for Northeasters is the trip to and fro, especially travelling boring 1-95 that seems to never end. That's why we choose 81 to 77 a very scenic more interesting route. Have a safe trip home Gary. Next year we'll try and visit ya in the Sunshine State as 2016 will be our 3rd year, making my wife and I official snowbirds.
When I arrived home late last night, the temperature was a brisk 34 degrees, right now it's snowing hard, and the plumber just left after repairing a couple burst segments of my hotwater baseboard heating system. Worst winter in 60 years and it's still lingering. Right now, the temperature is 35 degrees, there is about 3 inches of snow on the ground and some mixed freezing rain. Last night, all we had for heat was my auxiliary electric heat system, which doesn't put out enough heat to warm the house, and our electric blankets. Damned, snow on first day of spring!
I'll be a happy camper if I'm able to sail back to the Florida Keys in October and get the Hell away from another nasty, Maryland winter. Winter in the keys is far easier to cope with, I get to play music and sing to the ladies, and any temperature lower than 75 during the day is winter down there.
We've had over 100 cm of "global warming" (that's over 39 inches or well over 3 ft) over the past two days...as you say, Gary, it's the worst winter we've had in years here on the island. Some of the apartments on the main floor of my building have snow covering their living room windows nearly to the top...still waiting for Housing to get a front end loader to clear it away...luckily I'm on the 2nd (top) floor.
One thing about winter is that it lets me devote more time to music and video racing games, and luckily the former has always been a passionate hobby as well as my method of livelihood.
I suppose it is nice to be in warmer climates, but it has never been any kind of priority for me...probably a good thing.
I am glad for you that you are able to get away as you do.
Thanks Ian. The older I get the colder I get, and last night with no heat in the house really brought that to life. I could NOT live where you are - just too cold for this old codger.
Gary ... What I was saying - in fewer words - was that while the world MAY be getting warmer, it wasn't happening in MY neighborhood this Winter ...
I do not know if the world is actually getting warmer, and I am not looking to start a debate about it ... I do know there have been some weird weather patterns this year - "Iditarod start moved north due to lack of snow" and "Boston sets new snowfall record" (by 1 inch), but that is as far as I will go with the conversation ...
Tony, I'm in my office, space heater running full blast, still a couple inches of snow on the ground from yesterday's 3 inch snowfall, it's the second day of spring, and I just got a call from a lady in Marathon Key, Florida who wanted to know if I could play a private party for her. I sure wish I would have stayed another two weeks longer in Marathon, but alas, I have to do my tax returns and go into high gear on the NH circuit beginning April 1st.
If you read the Climate Depot information on the warmest year on record, you come to the realization that the folks at NOAA seem to have some sort of agenda on convincing the nation the sky is falling, you know, the Chicken Little syndrome. That really pisses me off, but what the Hell, I'm old and cantankerous, but you already knew that.
That Green Coconut Margarita on top of the keyboard scares the crap out of me especially with that wind out there 
...that said:
.... 
.........
