Hey guys,
not going to go through everything right now, but lets just say FRANK BROWN has been amazing! Four shows so far, and five more to go. Each one has been standing room only, with waiting lists to get in. Jimbeau and I have been really slamming it. He and I have a pretty solid show. WE are up tempo, aggressive, in your face, and show just what can be done with well crafted songs, and a dynamic performance. I like to show that songwriting does not have to be wimpy, restless, tiring, preachy or just plain boring.
It is why we have gotten so many shows. All the venues want us because these are not just "listening rooms." These are normal bars and resturants, that usually appeal to a beach mentality. Their audiences, while a little different during Frank Brown are very different than most songwriters are used to. Many are not here to listen to music outside of background noise. They are much more used and expect Jimmy buffet than original songwriters and songs. So when they get a bunch of long winded ballad writers, they are going to rebel. With their money. There are a lot of places to go and if they are not going to be entertained, they are going somewhere else. The Florabama alone has three bars. Some places in Pensacola have seven in one complex. So if you are wanting to do this, you better be on your game.
And when you are a newbie or trying to work your way in, you are literally onstage with MONSTER HIT WRITERS. That is your competition, which makes you be very competent in your songs. This is not for the feint of heart or mediocre. Those do have the opportunities on open mics and outside gigs, but the main part of the festival are all heavy hitters.
A big fun thing about here is a new guy to the festival. His name is RANDY BROOKS, and he wrote "GRANDMA GOT RUN OVER BY A REINDEER." That one is about the most popular song on this festival. Met and was hanging out with him yesterday. Great guy, and he is like his business card says "Milking Grandma got Run Over By a Reindeer since 1979!" LOL! As I was talking to him yesterday in front of the festival execs, I came up with one of my typically goofy ideas that often work. I said that next year, we should have a BAD CHRISTMAS SONG night. Do it like at the Bama main room and have all the writers with really crappy Christmas songs, do them for charity. We could donate the door to TOYS FOR TOTS, and it would be hilarious. I could do my idiotic "NOT SO MERRY CHRISTMAS HERE IN THE TRAILER PARK" (Which I did last night in a multi million dollar RV park) and all the other writers have the same kind of things. The more talented successful writers take themselves less seriously and therefor are more fun to watch, and even if they have crappy songs, they are GREAT, WELL WRITTEN CRAPPY SONGS!!!
Our final capping for the weekend, was last night, on the 23rd floor of a mega condominium, the swankiest most expensive down here. We were hosted by 9 FOOD NETWORK CHEFS, who cooked a HUGE DINNER, of very amazing foods from all over the world. One of my best friends is involved with the Food Network and organized cooking demonstrations for the OYSTER FESTIVAL going on this past weekend. So as a celebration, they brought the food, cooked it in this amazing condo and Jimbeau and I did a small show for them. Singing for our supper.
Was a great night and I could go on and on but the pictures are all over facebook if you want to see.
Okay. Everyone have a good time. have to go to the hospitality room. See what trouble Phil is into.
MAB
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