Friday, August 27: Rob Sweet
Rob Sweet, on tour from Key West
Rob Sweet surveys the crowd at one of the bustling nightclubs in downtown Key West, trying to sort out who will listen to the music, who will ignore him, who will mockingly call out “Free Bird!”, who will really understand what he’s doing. Many musicians have performed in this venerable venue over the years, some famous, some not so, some talented, some, well, less blessed. Rob figures he’s in the middle somewhere, and just considers himself fortunate for being able to make a living at doing this, his chosen profession. He strums a few chords on his Martin, launches into a familiar song, and soon has most of the revelers smiling and nodding or tapping something in tempo. He’s just started, but he’s already well on his way into another day at work, or play, a four-hour excursion through the well-chosen covers and well-written originals that comprise his varied repertoire.
He has the self-assurance of someone who has found his calling and is making it work for him. If you love what you do for a living and can do what you love for a living you have achieved a level of personal success that eludes most of us. He understands that he may never attain the sort of national, even international, recognition that some the musicians he admires have – such as Steve Earle, Todd Snider, Ben Folds, even Erin McKeown – but he doesn’t let that concern him. He’s glad to be able to play for people in this intimate, boisterous setting – and he really enjoys playing rather than working for a living – and feels he has been successful if he can leave at the end of his shift having received a good number of compliments, and yes, a respectable amount of tips. He can judge by these indicators that he has touched and moved peoples’ hearts, an intangible yet real reward for his efforts.
The average bar patron may not pick up on any of this. After all, most people go to Key West to hang out, carouse, have a loud rowdy good time, and probably don’t pay too much attention to what the skinny guitarist over in the corner is doing until he plays a favorite song or fulfills a request. They’d be missing out on something special, though, and would seem to have completely forgotten that playing gigs just like this is how their beloved Jimmy Buffett got his start. Of course, they’re on vacation and understandably not too interested in digging deeper than what is immediately apparent. That is what makes them tourists and not travelers, and maybe that’s alright in this context – though even sitting still and listening intently for even ten minutes might bring them a little closer to realizing the potential rewarding experience close at hand. Even if they weren’t interested in maintaining a higher level of attention for very long, they could buy a copy of Rob’s new CD, “Introducing Rob Sweet,” listen to it at their leisure later, and finally get an idea of what could be theirs for the asking – an introduction to a valuable and evolving musical resource in the guise of a charming rogue and talented troubadour.
Saturday, August 28: Gene’s Jazz Hot
If you missed the their last visit, the improvisational jazz dance, random full frontal humor, and consumption of a fine cab, well, you lost those moments and they are not coming back… but Gene and her crew of merry makers are returning for yet another rendition of the big olde tyme fun and superior song craft.
