It's a Massacoustics Thing...

I know I talk about the great music here in Key West but if you are a true music fan, Key West is a virtual nirvana!!! If you're not in the mood for whatever music is playing wherever you are, you just need to walk to the next bar and find something you like better - it's that easy!!! How does such a small island attract such amazing talent? One of our favorite bands, the Massacoustics, rolled into town this past week and we have been loving life!!

The Massacoustics at Hogs Breath

But before we get into that, last week was bittersweet for us since we had to say goodbye to Shawna and Jon on Beausoleil - some of our new ragbagger buddies who we weathered the winter with down here in the SIG (short for Stock Island Ghetto). They are a great couple who we had lots of fun with over the winter - while we were sorry to see them go (especially since they are heading over to the Bahamas so we're totally jealous!), we know we will see them out on the waters again sometime, somewhere because that's just what cruisers do. Even though we are planning to head back to work for awhile, we'll be someplace warm, sunny and on the water so we'll hopefully get to see all our friends as they pass through either on their way north or south!! Stay safe guys and have a great time - see you soon!

The Crew of Beausoleil Prepares for Sea

Beausoleil Motors Out of the Harbor

We passed up a trip out to the Dry Tortugas with SunLuver, Muircu and Beausoleil since our friends Todd and Brenda on Life's2Short were headed to town - yippee!!!

Muircu Pulls Out of the Marina Headed for the Dry Tortugas

We plan on hitting the Tortugas and Marquesas before we leave here probably in May sometime - one last cruising fling!! But back to happenings on the island - prior to hitting Hog's Breath to see the Massacoustics play, we made our usual stop at Guy Harveys and ran into our Georgia girls Lindsay and Caroline (eat your heart out Bob and Ron!! we told them you both said hi!) Also at GH we ran into some guys from Massachusetts and turned them on to the Massacoustics - eventually we all wound up at the Hog for some seriously great music. Well to make a long story short, we did a repeat the next several nights and by Thursday night, Jeff, Vic and Vic's wife Sharon were fast friends!!

Even the Kids Get into the Act at Hogs Breath

We even took them over to the Sunset Pier after the Massacoustics to see Scott and Dave play - and of course ran into Brook (aka one of the Wicked Sisters) and her parents. I'll just leave it at ugly.....

The Gang at the Sunset Pier

On one night's rest which was taken up watching the Final Four, Todd and Brenda blew into town - and off we went - what better way to spend Easter than on a binge in KW! We met up with them at the dinghy dock since they are out on a mooring ball and brought them to Irish Kevin's to see Bil Krauss who was his usual hysterical self - he is also a seriously good musician!! We've had a lot of laughs and fun watching him all winter - thanks Bil!!

Doug, Todd and Brenda at Irish Kevin's

Todd was great at luring unsuspecting tourists into the bar with yes a rubber chicken!!!

Todd with His Rubber Chicken at Irish Kevin's

Then it was on to an Easter BBQ at Frank and Di's house with Country Dave

Doug and Country Dave Chat over a Couple of Beers

- what an awesome afternoon we had playing with the dogs and Patty, their very temperamental cockatoo

Patty the Cockatoo

(who by the way loves ice cubes and Todd's fingers!!

Patty Nibbles on Todd

although she sure does love Frank!!),

Frank and Patty

eating amazing ribs and bbq pork, hanging out at hillbilly beach

Dave on Hillbilly Beach

and just enjoying some great company. Thanks so much guys for a wonderful Easter - doesn't Dave look cute in his bunny ears!!!

Then it was on to Hogs Breath so Todd and Brenda could see the Massacoustics

Todd, Brenda and Doug Watching the Massacoustics

- seems like everyone wanted to hear good music that night as we were joined by Bil Krauss,

Bil Krauss at Hogs Breath to See the Massacoustics

Scott Kirby and a ton of screaming girls (OK yes in Brenda's words they are yummy - but that's just a bonus since they are amazingly talented musicians!!!)

The "Yummy" Massacoustics at Hogs Breath

From there we were off to the Lazy Gecko to meet up with some dockmates and fellow Red Sox fans, Terry and Loie on Coconuts - for those of you who don't know, the Gecko is THE Red Sox bar in KW and even has tee-shirts boasting they are the Southernmost Red Sox Nation!!! Despite the game not really starting out too well for us (much to the glee of the few Yankees fans who dared step foot through the Gecko's doors (OK - like most bars in KW there are no doors at the Gecko but across the threshold shall we say). However, we Sox fans had the last laugh as the Good Guys defeated the Evil Empire in resounding fashion - well at least by a couple of runs in the 8th inning!!! What an Easter!!! We were glad to get an email from Life's2Short that they safely maneuvered their dinghy back to the boat in the dark!!!

Yesterday we met up again around 1:00 because it was just too beautiful a day to waste

Tammy and Doug Enjoy Wings with Todd and Brenda at Schooner Wharf

- an afternoon of wings listening to Michael McCloud at Schooner Wharf was just what the doctor ordered!!!

Michael McCloud at Schooner Wharf

Of course no trip to KW is complete without a happy hour trip to the Raw Bar for oysters, shrimp and pitchers of ShockTop so of course we had to indulge - making sure we left in time to go see the yummy boys again (Brenda wanted to make sure we were able to see their whole set this time!!) Unfortunately we got to Hogs Breath and someone decidedly "unyummy" was on the stage playing what we think was music .... no seriously we were just bummed since we thought the Massacoustics were playing one more night - the Hog's website lied!!! We could have called it a day.....but no....on to Irish Kevins to see who was playing and then by luck we found a new bar (actually Doug and Todd saw the clown outside the bar holding up a sign that read "16 ounce beers for $1" - you can't make this stuff up you know!!!) Well of course we had to see what that was all about - El Alamo here we come!! Turns out it is quite a joint - centered around an outside courtyard, the beers are cold and in fact $1 all day and for happy hour they have $1 pulled pork sliders - unfortunately they were out of buns but brought us out a couple bowls of pulled pork and gave us some crackers - worked for us!!!

Beers and Pulled Pork at El Alamo with Tye the Bartender

It was also the home of some interesting characters ranging from Tye the bartender who showed us pictures of his hot Russian wife (who Todd thought was named Olga ...not) and the ever present KW pirate!!

Tammy and Brenda with the Key West Pirate

Quite a cool place - we didn't stick around for the evening's dirty joke contest - seriously, you can't make this up!!! but I'm sure we'll be back!!

Today is yet another gorgeous sunny warm day so our plan is to meet up at Guy Harveys, happy hour at Kelly's for some wings, hit a party at Brook's parents house, sunset at Mallory Square and then invade the Sunset Pier to hear Scott and Dave play! Whew, I haven't even left the boat and I'm having fun already ...... meanwhile Bootsie is ensconced on her throne - she now owns not just the love seat but also one of our two chairs in the salon - she's just so cute, we don't have the heart to kick her off!!!