MyJoog Venue: Pontunes; Key Largo, Florida

While heading down to Key Large, Graham Wood Drout of IKO-IKO recommended that we visit Pontunes for two reasons. One the tiki bar provides live music on the weekends in which IKO-IKO is a regular participant, and two, the venue provides a free ride on a replica pirate ship. With a 5 year old in tow - that was all we needed to hear. Unfortunately while making an online reservation we learned that the Coast Guard was not allowing the pirate ship to carry passengers - all necessary permits were not on file. Shades of the Coast Guard banning the barges in Louisiana trying to stop the oil from creeping to the shore. Anyhow, the Captain and crew allowed us to board the vessel before they set sail with just the crew in order to maintain seaworthiness.

As the pirate ship left, our attention turned to The Bird Street Players and their funky sound which quickly distracted the little boy. Even with a slow night, these guys were fun - even heard the same Jimi Hendricks tune that IKO-IKO played the previous night - same song - completely different tune. They even covered Johnny Cash - wonder if they share the same set list? But I definitely want to hear these guys again, without the boy and with more than one Pirate Punch.

For those heading to the Keys for the July 4th weekend, checkout 18 Wheelers on July 4th. Maybe the ship will be sailing with passengers that evening.

MyJoog Venue: Boston's on the Beach

One of my favorite beaches in Florida is Delray Beach - not only does the actual beach contain flat, hard sand and clear water - but there are plenty of restaurants and parks within walking distance. One of these is Boston’s on the Beach; which provides live music every night except Wednesdays. And even better; they provide live music throughout the day on Saturdays and Sundays. And they have some pretty talented regulars performing during these shows and in the evening: Amber Leigh, Crazy Fingers, The Hep Cat Boo Daddies, Rythmation, and Midlife Crysis Band to name a few.

But my favorite night is Tuesday, when the venue hosts Blue Tuesdays with Famous Frank Ward and a special guests. This guests range from local Florida blues acts to regional and national headliners. This Tuesday we heard Philadelphia based the Deb Callahan Band. What a treat. And what a band: Allen James, Gerry Lee, and Tom Walling. They can smoke up a room - and along with Callahan's soulful vocals - make for an entertaining show. Wish I could follow them to Pineapple Willys. For the remainder of June Bostons has scheduled Terry Hanck, The Nouveaux Honkies, and Jeff Prine Group. See you then.

MyJoog Venue: Clematis by Night

During the summer, the traditional music hall, amphitheater, coffee shop are not the sole venues to hear live music. Most towns and cities provide free entertainment outdoors in a central location. But not in Florida; they get to host outdoor concerts all year and one if these is Clematis by Night. And in fact this is their 15th year anniversary holding live concerts on Thursdays in Centennial Square at the end of Clematis Street in Downtown West Palm Beach. The location also means there is plenty of fun for the kids - bring bathing suits and towels because they will want to run and jump through the fountains. The Fountainside Concert Series features a diverse range of mostly area or regional artists: rock, r&b, reggae, blues, soul, swing and Latin music. There is also plenty of local food vendors providing BBQ, African, and Latin cuisine - and beer and wine to wash it down.

This past Thursday we listened to Taylor Road, a regional band playing classic rock. Funny how classic rock used to refer to music from the 1970's, but now includes the 80's and 90's. But anyway, they were quite good and played the Counting Crows, Tom Petty, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, Buffalo Springfield, and many more. For the rest of our stay in south Florida we plan on returning each Thursday in June:

Fastball - Thursday, June 03, 2010 @ 6:00 PM Scholars Word - Thursday, June 10, 2010 @ 6:00 PM The Fabulouns - Thursday, June 17, 2010 @ 6:00 PM Datura Street Band - Thursday, June 24, 2010 @ 6:00 PM

MyJoog Venue: Margaritaville Cafe

One of the few benefits we've found with the XM\Sirius merger is access to Jimmy Buffett's Radio Margaritaville - channels 55/31 respectively. The channel is not merely 24 hours of Buffett material; it includes music from popular artists like James Taylor, Sonny Landreth, and John Hiatt - plus lesser known reggae and caribbean artists. One feature we really enjoy is when DJ JD Spradlin broadcasts LIVE from the Margaritaville Cafe at the Universal Citywalk in Orlando, Florida. Wherever we are - at work or on the road- this broadcast "changes our attitude" by forcing us to envision listening to music during happy hour at a harbor or beach. Ahhhh - with a rum concoction in hand. Spradlin does a nice job incorporating the cafe's atmosphere into his broadcast - sometimes allowing visitors on air and incorporating requests into a pre-defined song list.

During our Thanksgiving Florida excursion we were sent to Citywalk by friends and spent a fun afternoon at the venue. The staff is extremely accommodating and friendly - from the host to the servers. And the Margaritas aren't too shabby. It was also entertaining listening to the sound system, knowing the music being generated nearby was being broadcast across the globe. Yes, we were no where near the ocean - but with all the photo's of Buffett and beach paraphernalia - it was close enough for this day. So next time in Orlando - take a peak at Margaritaville Cafe at Citywalk - and make sure you include Bob Marley's At Universal Citywalk in your plans.

Ocean City Music Venues

This past labor day weekend we finally traveled to our local beach resort at Ocean City Maryland and found a vibrant music community. There are over two dozen establishments that provide weekly music within the area - and more if you include neighboring Fenwick Island and Berlin. The venues range from beach bars such as Seacrets and Coconuts Beachfront Restaurant Bar & Grill to boardwalk biker bars The Purple Moose Saloon and the Blue Fin Bar & Grill - Tideland's Caribbean Hotel. And for those who prefer a more traditional music venue - there's the famous Globe Theatre.

Most of the musicians who perform in the area are regional or local acts - but on occasion national acts appear, such as bluesman Stacy Mitchhart and even Todd Snider and Bobby Bare Jr. And The Nighthawks are scheduled for later this month at the Globe Theatre. During this weekend, Micky Fin's Dockside Bar & Grill had the best lineup, booking Tom Larson and the lower case blues band; but Seacrets also rocked with Jah Works and Fager's Island with No Pets For Noah. As for the local acts - we recommend Opposite Directions and Kevin Poole. They both have regular engagements at multiple venues each month - even during the off-season.

Venues in Ocean City, Maryland

• 707 Sports Bar & Grille
• Bamboo Restaurant & Tiki Bar
• Bj's On The Water
• Blue Fin Bar & Grill - Tideland's Caribbean Hotel
• Booty's Bar & Grill
• Castaway's
• Coconuts Beachfront Restaurant Bar & Grill
• Coins Pub & Restaurant
• Cowboyz Saloon
• Fager's Island
• Fresco's
• Galaxy 66 Bar & Grill
• The Green Turtle
• Harborside Bar & Grill
• Island Cafe
• Jive
• M.R. Ducks Bar & Grill
• Macky's Bayside Bar and Grill
• Micky Fin's Dockside Bar & Grill
• Ocean Club Nightclub
• Paddock Nite Club Pickles Pub
• Ponzetti's Pizza
• The Purple Moose Saloon
• Rio Grande Cafe & Tiki Bar
• Roland E. Powell Convention Center
• Seacrets
• The Shark On the Harbor

Venues in Berlin, Maryland

• Globe Theatre
• Steer Inn Tavern
• Whisker's Bar & Grill

Venues in Fenwick Island, Delaware

• Harpoon Hanna's
• Smitty McGee's Raw Bar & Restaurant

MyJoog Venue: Tim's Rivershore Restaurant

This Saturday we made our annual pilgrimage to Tim's Rivershore Restaurant & Crabhouse, located south of Wadhington D.C. in Dumfries, Virginia. There is no similar facility south of the city where people can go and relax near the water, eat crabs, and listen to live music. Let's not forget watching boaters party on there vessels or come in on the water taxi, or even the freight and Amtrak trains rolling by. Tim's provide a spot on a secondary pier, which while providing a nice sound, keeps the artist far enough away from the tiki bar where the listener does not feel overwhelmed by the music. Plus its keeps you focused on the water. We arrived in the mid afternoon to find Damion Wolfe on the pier playing to an already large audience. Wolfe is a local artist who regularly performs at similar venues from Baltimore to Richmond. He played a mixture of covers and originals that provided nice background music to our day. The music was not overbearing so that you could converse with neighbors or sing along.


A little after 5, Wolfe packed up and we started to consider whether to call it a day. Then we noticed a familiar artist rolling in new equipment - blues man Whop Frazier and our decision was made for us. Apparently on Saturday's Tim's provided two artists, one from 1-5 the other from 6-10 and Frazier often occupies this second time slot. He is a D.C. native that turned to the blues after hearing blues legend Bobby Parker. "In the years that followed, Frazier played blues with numerous other musicians, including James Cotton, Junior Wells, and Carey Bell. He also recalls a time when he did a show with Eric Clapton." As you can imagine, seeing him setting up for a show was a great surprise. We stayed and listened to several original and popular blues covers - primarily Chicago blues. At this point, most conversations ended as people actively listened, sand, and danced. We were so attuned to the music we barely noticed the sun setting and the tiki lamps and tree lights turning on. What a great way to spend a summer day. Tim's provides live music every Friday-Sunday during the summer - go take a look.

Music Scene - West Palm Beach

While spending a couple weeks in South Florida, I was able to investigate several music venues. South of Palm Beach there is a series of small towns located adjacent to the ocean - Lake Worth, Lantana, Boynton Beach, and Delray Beach. Each town has several bars and clubs that provide live music but my favorite past time was walking around the main street areas in Lake Worth and Delray Beach. Within both towns the venues were in the same proximity allowing us to see several artists during the same evening.

We had come to know Lake Worth from the famed Bamboo Room - that used to host local and national blues and rock acts. Unfortunately the venue closed last year and there has been no word on its re-opening. However, there is still a vibrant music scene within the same vicinity, with several bars and restaurants hosting musicians: Havana Hideout, Homerun Sports Bar,
Propaganda, and South Shores Tavern. Our favorites were two that were literally across the street from each other: Brogues on the Avenue and the Lake Worth Rum Shack. Last Wednesday night we started at Brogues after hearing a booming voice coming from the bar. Over a Jamesons we listened to a fellow playing a few Irish songs and other covers. This is a nice bar - open - with a nice outside corner spot on the street. Afterward we headed to our intended destination, the Lake Worth Rum Shack. This restaurant\tiki bar hosts live music every night and this evening to regulars were playing: Jason Montero and Shauna Sweeney. We selected this evening because we had noticed that Ms. Sweeney was also playing at Sunfest on May 3rd. The duo are quite entertaining; they played a mix of originals and covers - from Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, to Led Zepplin. At least from Montero's selections. Ms. Sweeney was just as gifted, playing a more soft-rock flavor; and with Montero picking on the acoustic guitar - we really loved their act. We definately recommend taking a look at these two.

Delray Beach is not as compact as Lake Worth so it requires a little more walking. Delray Beach is probably the nicest beach in the area so its a great place to sunbath and swim. Afterward we usually head to Boston’s on the Beach, where on the weekends they host live music all day. Sometimes we will escape the high sun and listen to Amber Leigh, then head back to the beach in the late afternoon.

In the evening, head west on Atlantic Avenue. Before the railroad tracks Elwood's Dixie Barbecue hosts local blues acts on their outdoor porch. I nice place to listen to music and people watch. Behind Elwood's is the area's largest venue, City Limits. This club attracts national, regional, and local artists - with a reggae/blues/rock flavor. Any place that JJ Grey & Mofro play is worth looking into. If Irish music interests you, turn left into Pineapple Grove and go to the end of the street where you will find O'Connors. Smithwicks and music. Oh yea. Finally there are a couple other establishments we haven't ventured to yet, The Bull Bar and Dada. We will check them out our next walking tour of Atlantic Avenue.

MyJoog Venue: Dogfish Head Alehouse

One of our favorite breweries is Delaware's Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. Sam Calagione and brewmaster Andy Tveekrem craft truly historic beers - that is - along with their standard line of excellent I.P.A., Pale Ales, and Pilsners the winery produces several beers replicated from ancient recipes. This past Saturday, at the Falls Church, Virginia Dogfish Head Alehouse, we listened to rockin' blues from Bad Influence Band and sipped several sifters of their Midas Touch Golden Elixir. The "actual oldest-known fermented beverage in the world!" In the 1957 an archaeological expedition uncovered the possible burial chamber of King Midus in central Turkey. Inside the chamber were over 150 drinking vessels that contained chemical residues of barley, grapes, honey and saffron. Using these ingredients as a base, Dogfish Head re-created the ancient recipe blending one of the oldest grape varieties, Muscat, with barley, honey and saffron. The "Phrygian cocktail" is awesome and powerful (9.0% abv), which explains the sifter. It tastes more like a brandy - with the floral aroma and flavors of the Muscat up front.

At the same time that "Phrygian cocktail" was being fermented in the Middle East 9,000 years ago, the early Chinese were fermenting a concoction of rice, honey and fruit. Molecular Archeologist Dr. Patrick McGovern of the University of Pennsylvania, who analyzed the King Midus drinking vessels, found similar residue in the preserved Chinese pottery jars. He passed this information along to Dogfish Head, resulting in Chateau Jiahu. In trying to remain historically accurate the brewery uses pre-gelatinized rice flakes, Wildflower honey, Muscat grapes, barley malt, hawthorn fruit, and Chrysanthemum flowers. The rice and barley malt are fermented together with the remaining ingredients added to the wort. The result is a refreshing beer - or at least that's what we remember from the Washington D.C. Wine Festival.

Another historic brew is their Theobroma ("Food of the Dods"), based upon residue from pottery fragments found in Honduras. The chemical analysis discovered an alcoholic chocolate drink used over three thousand years ago - probably in special ceremonies. Dogfish Head version contains Aztec cocoa powder and cocoa nibs, honey, chilies, and annatto - a fragrant tree seed.

Finally we have to note some of our other favorite beers from Dogfish Head - particularly their Raison D'Etre, Palo Santo Marron, and Olde School Barleywine. The Raison D'Etre is brewed with beet sugar, green raisins, and Belgian-style yeast - producing a great slightly sweet malty ale. The Palo Santo Marron is an unfiltered brown ale aged in handmade wooden tanks. The Paraguayan Palo Santo wood add caramel and vanilla flavors to the beer. The Olde School Barleywine is malty and hoppy with an interesting flavor due to fermenting with dates and figs. Another sifter for this beer.

The best place to enjoy these beers are at the brewery itself, either the Rehoboth Beach Brewpub or the Alehouses in Falls Church, Virginia and Gaithersburg, Maryland. Each venue hosts free Saturday night music, with the Rehoboth Beach location landing some national\regional acts and the Alehouses providing a setting for local artists. In November the Rehoboth lineup consists of Nothin But Trouble, Dexter Romweber Duo, Brian McGee and the Hollow Speed,Leaving Texas, Whiskey Rebellion, and Nate Myers & The Aces. At the Alehouses look for Marshall Artz, Evan Bliss & the Welchers, Cletus Kennelly, and One Eyed Pug.