Counting heads

Hello people,

I was just wondering how many people are reading this blog at this point, as infrequent and incomplete as it is. Could you let me know.
Don't mess with the COMMENTS thingy below, just send a quick note to the verobeachlive at gmail.com and I'll get it for sure.
Stay tuned...things change. Notice the new "Where Are These Clubs and Bars?" at the top.

Loving the live music scene in Vero. Thursdays, 8:30 at Dockside; Fridays at Kelly's, Wednesdays at Waldo's - and some other venues are starting up. I'll let you know - when I know.
Tricia

ps. I'll be looking for your note at VEROBEACHLIVE at gmail.com.  (I disabled the link because it asks for some weird info about 'pop' something or other. Complicated! For now, just type it in and send. Thanks)

Havana Nights - Who plays when

Havana Nights, over on Jasmine off of Ocean Drive, near the 17th street bridge, is upstairs in the Caribbean Court Hotel and what a fun place for a late dinner or a drink at the bar. It's classy, so wear something dressy casual, but the ambiance is worth the trouble.

This bar takes me back to the 50's, to 'Casablanca' and a little more stylish period. The lighting is subdued, the beautiful bird and tropical paintings over white booths make for intimate dining and the wood bar with cushy bar stools just makes stopping into Havana Nights a real pleasure.

And there's always live music! At this piano bar you will find:

Neal McHugh - Mon, Tues, and Thursdays.
Bobby Gangloff - Wednesdays
Antonio York  -  Fridays and Sundays
Lisa Addeo - Saturdays.

Each musician has a special style and type of music so be sure to hear each one.
Music generally starts around 6 pm ...until...

I try to stop in at Havana Nights at least twice a week to enjoy a nice Chardonay to end off the day, talk with friends and hear some really professional live music. In fact, there I was on Wednesday evening sitting between Marschall Van Doren, keyboardist,singer and trombone player, and Neal McHugh who also sings and plays keyboards and guitar.

What a treasure this place is. Hope to run into you there soon.

And if I'm not there, tell the bartender, Dan, that Tricia sent you. He'll take good care of you.

Sunday Surprise!

Okay live music lovers,

If you think there's not much going on in Vero on Sundays, you have quite a surprise in store! Gloria has it going on!

I wandered down to Gloria Estefan's Costa d'Este Hotel on Ocean Avenue at about 5pm to check out the happy hour tapas menu since I didn't feel like cooking. What I walked into was a party in full swing!

Bobby Gangloff's, Bobby and the Blisters band was set up outside by the pool - Bobby on keyboard with his special old type microphone (that reminds me of a chrome hood grill),  Tony Cruz on Bongos, Todd Walker on Drums and Ron McCode on saxaphone - and they were hot, hot, hot! I love that jazzy blues sound and, though I've heard Bobby play and sing at Havana Nights often, this was a different sound since, out by the ocean, he can turn up the volume and really let himself go.  

That keyboard better be made of titanium or some such metal because sometimes Bobby looked like a musical version of an extreme fighter up there, really coming down on those keys, especially when he did a song called 'Use Me Up'. The band went wild and so did the dancers! 

I like Bobby's strong but smooth and melodious voice, telling stories with songs like "Maple to Mango," (I think it was called), and the Steeley Dan favorite, "Deacon Blues." Some of his songs have a very fast rhythm but the way he enunciates so clearly, you can hear every word.

And, my friends, this marvelous party happens every Sunday, from 4 'til 8pm. Happy hour for drinks goes until 6pm; there is comfortable seating in this beautiful setting with the ocean as a backdrop; nice people of all ages, light food and pleasant and efficient servers.  

And really great live music! What more could you ask? 


   

Kelly's - like the 'good old days!'

What a treat to have Jimmy Keagan back at Kelly's this past Friday night! We love Deja Vu, but they had something else going on, so Jimmy came back to entertain all of his old followers and it was quite a night.

Everybody sang: Harvey, Frank, Johnny, Kim, Maggie and Tommy, Mary (others I've left out, sorry) and even I sang a couple. 

When Jimmy backs you up on that 'rag time' piano, he makes it easy for the singers. There arn't many songs he doesn't know and he can find your key if you don't know it. His wife, Diane, keeps a note of it in her trusty book for next time. She also writes down the names of 'regulars' when they walk through the door and they're 
called up to sing depending on what time they arrived. 

Jimmy is a great singer himself and had a lot of requests for his old favorites.  

When Verobeachlive.com is functioning fully, (with a calendar and all), I will be sure to let you know when the wonderful Jimmy Keagan is making an appearance at Kelly's Irish Bar and Deli.

Meanwhile, I'll just continue blogging about Vero's live music scene.