Phil,
Yes, I have heard and know all about the Pensacola festival. It was started by Reneda Cross, who ran the Frank Brown festival for a few years. There was a falling out between her ad Joe Ghilcrist, the owner of the Florabama and the guy who invented the Frank Brown festival. They came to a parting of the ways, and she started her own. I have been friends with both for many years but did not want to get into any controversy.
I decided if I was going to do one, I would not do the other. And since FB has been so good to me, I would not switch. They are just too close together and there are many bad feelings. So I don't go to that one. It is much smaller, and mostly located in P'cola, which is not the most conducive audiences for songwriting. I have played there many times at Rose O'Grady's, and the Naval Air Station, and while I love those people in the military, they are not really that interested in listening to songwriting. I finally had to ask Frank Brown no longer book me in Pensacola, just not my scene.
I'm sure it would be fine, but mostly local and regional people for that one, as most of the Nashville writers are in the same position I was in. I don't know how many go down. They also don't have that many venues so they are not able to pay as much as Frank Brown. The only way I really make FB pay for me, is by staying the entire ten days, playing a lot of shows and doing some private appointments while I am there.
I decided if I was going to do one, I would not do the other. And since FB has been so good to me, I would not switch. They are just too close together and there are many bad feelings. So I don't go to that one. It is much smaller, and mostly located in P'cola, which is not the most conducive audiences for songwriting. I have played there many times at Rose O'Grady's, and the Naval Air Station, and while I love those people in the military, they are not really that interested in listening to songwriting. I finally had to ask Frank Brown no longer book me in Pensacola, just not my scene.
I'm sure it would be fine, but mostly local and regional people for that one, as most of the Nashville writers are in the same position I was in. I don't know how many go down. They also don't have that many venues so they are not able to pay as much as Frank Brown. The only way I really make FB pay for me, is by staying the entire ten days, playing a lot of shows and doing some private appointments while I am there.
I am sure it has it's own charm and great people just like all the festivals do. Reneda is a good person and believes in songwriting a great deal. She was once the massage therapist for the Frank Brown festival. Kind of like when people get divorced, you have to be careful not to get in the middle.
Oddly enough, Joe Gilchrist, while still a minority owner of the Florabama, now has the New Malibu Beach Club, which is IN PENSACOLA! So I end up there no matter what. LOL!
MAB
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