The opening, May 20, of the Key Largo Singers and Songwriters Festival had some wonderful highlights. A sizeable audience learned that a Midwestern singer lighting up the pontoon boat stage at Snappers had never seen a beach. Surrounded at that moment by the Atlantic Ocean and listeners garbed in tropical clothing, shorts and t-shirts, flip flops and Crocs, she was definitely “not in Kansas” anymore.
Hailey Steele, a singer from South Dakota, had never been to a beach, and that was where she planned to go right after she finished singing with fellow visiting musicians Megan Conner and Leland Grant Thursday afternoon. The trio headlines this weekend’s Key Largo Singers and Songwriters Festival and are a treat to behold.
Grant and Conner, both playing guitars and harmonizing, stopped mid-song in their first set. Grant was surprised by the silent sidling up of a center console boat beside him. A Keys resident was docking right next to the pontoon boat from which the duo was singing. “Now, that’s something that has never happened to me in Nashville,” he smiled, and then resumed singing.
The free concerts are showcasing all kinds of music at waterfront locales.
The sites this evening Friday, May 21, are both at mile marker (MM) 104 bayside. Senor Frijoles, a restaurant serving up Mexican food, hosts acoustic musicians from 6-11 p.m. Simultaneously, Sundowners beach hosts musicians serving up tropical rock, acoustic, reggae and southern rock from 6-11 p.m.
Listeners can walk next door to Caribbean Club for late night southern rock, country and classic rock music, from 11 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. performed by Luke Sommer Glenn.
Saturday music simultaneously begins at Sundowners beach and Jimmy Johnson’s Big Chill, MM 104.2, at 3 p.m. Wear or bring a bathing suit to cool off in the pool, if desired.
To see the full line up of who’s playing, visit www.KeyLargoSingersandSongwritersFestival.com. For information on where to stay and additional things to do, visit www.fla-keys.com.
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