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Facts and News
“Perry Monument at Put-in-Bay” |
The 25th (and final) “PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS” TROP ROCKING THE NORTH COAST ONE MORE TIME June 6 -8, 2019 |
The most important thing to remember – Never, never, never walk, drive, operate a bike or golf cart or travel in any vehicle with an open container of alcohol. This is absolutely forbidden at Put-In-Bay. You will be fined and spend the night in jail. Don’t take any chances by trying to hide your drink in a coffee cup or other container. The police know all the tricks!
Support the local cab drivers – By the end of the weekend, they will be your best friends. We suggest using Island Club drivers whenever possible: Coconut Tim Pomps, well-known to all the Phlockers, can be reached at 216-789-8938 during Phlocking weekend.
Always tip your bartenders and servers – You all know this!
Miller Ferry and Jet Express Discounts – Phlockers’ names will be listed at both terminals for a discounted rate. The Jet will offer a $26 roundtrip fare on Sunday through Friday and a $31 fare on Saturday (these are discounts of $5 and $3 below the standard fares). The Miller Boat Line will offer a $2 discount from the standard adult passenger fare. Special thanks to the Miller Boat Line for adding the Phlocking of the Phaithful to their list of events.
Always wear your Phlocking ID tags. You will not be admitted to Phlocking private parties without your tag.
The Players:
Jerry Diaz – No one can open an event like Jerry Diaz! As the first player to take the stage, he will ceremoniously kick things off with a very special toast as he has done at previous Phlockings. Jerry has accumulated a catalog of songs that have been enjoyed throughout the Gulf Coast and, of course, the North Coast! He mixes a combination of original songs, Buffett favorites, and other ‘tropical’ tunes. As a solo act, Jerry performs with an acoustic guitar only (no backing tracks!). Jerry and Mary Diaz, along with a fantastic group of people, produce Pardi-Gras every January in New Orleans.
Johnny Rodriguez is aptly named “Mr. Phlocking,” since he has played at every Phlocking except one! Johnny will play at the Hand Grenade party, set to take place on Friday at Mr. Ed’s. He can play any song you throw at him, and never fails to amaze us with his 12-string guitar and unlimited musical talent. We’re especially excited to see him ‘play well with others’ during the jam band performances, and maybe even include a duet with Michelle Becker.
K.D. Moore was introduced to us by Dennis King. We then recruited him to host the new Sunday Songwriter’s Showcase at one of the early Phlockings. He took the job and managed it perfectly for the next few years! K.D.’s musical talent and insanely crowd-engaging shows have made him a Phlocking favorite, both at the annual event and several Halfway parties. Having released multiple CDs before “technically retiring” from the music business a few years ago, he now enjoys life in Nashville with Cindy, his better half. Ken was the second artist invited to perform at the 25th Phlocking Anniversary; his response was “Oh hell yeah!” K.D. and Cindy are dear friends and a couple of our favorite travel buddies.
John Reno – Once we brought John to Put-In-Bay, we knew we’d never have a Phlocking without him! John is not your typical acoustic guitar-playing singer songwriter. John’s musical style is definitely a mixture of rock-n-roll and country music with an island theme, and lyrics depicting a laidback lifestyle. John not only defines this musical genre, he lives it! John performs both an American Pie Revisited Concert and The Jim Croce Tribute in theaters across the U.S. and Canada. One of his proudest moments was having Ingrid Croce invite him to perform the Tribute at Croce's Park West for the annual Jim Croce Birthday Celebration. We’ve got to admit, John Reno was our first call for this event – it’s not a party without you and Donna!
j. Hanson – A skinny guy walks into a bar, handing out CDs. Sounds like the start of a joke, but it’s not. In fact, this is how we met j. and were introduced to the music of The Junkanoo Brothers, sometime around Phlocking #10. We loved the music; Island Time DK (Dennis King) began playing the Junkanoo Brothers on his radio show, and so began a long relationship with j., the Junkanoos, and now with Boudreaux’s Back Porch. In fact, j. and his bands have played at every single Halfway to Phlocking event! In some form or other, j. will be performing at the Phlocking. Without a doubt, you’ll see him sitting-in with the other artists. His talent and personality combine to make great entertainment. This ‘skinny guy’ is very special to Phlocking.
Latitude – The first time we heard Latitude play at Myrtle Beach, we knew they had to be exposed to Put-in-Bay and the Phlockers. Their original songs and Carolina Beach Music, along with Tom’s onstage craziness and Michelle’s fantastic voice, were an immediate hit! Tom and Michelle tour worldwide, performing Back Home Again, a Tribute to John Denver and It Takes Two. They keep extremely busy, putting together fantastic cruises for their fans and performing across the U.S. It’s great to have them back at Put-In-Bay.
Don Middlebrook is one of the original Phlocking entertainers. Don is considered by many to be one of the founding fathers of Trop Rock music. We saw him for the first time at Phlocking #3 (before we became involved) as Living Soul and the Pearl Divers. For more than 25 years, he has blazed a trail of over 175 tour dates per year all across the United States. Middlebrook’s musical journey has taken him from Michigan to Key West, and from Ocean City, MD, to Seattle, WA. With over 16 albums to his credit and a four-year extensive tour with Greg ‘Fingers’ Taylor, Jimmy Buffett’s harmonica player of 26 years, Don Middlebrook is a name that is well-recognized in the Trop Rock world. Thanks for joining us again, Don.
The Corned Beef & Curry Band – It’s hard to believe that when Corned Beef & Curry played at Halfway to Phlocking for the first time, even some Pittsburghers had never heard of them! Since that time, they have performed in Cleveland, New Orleans, Tampa and recently in Iowa! John McCann (Corned Beef) played as a solo act, and with a wide variety of bands. He met Bob Banerjee (Curry) while looking for someone to play violin on his “This Day” CD. (“Everyone said I would not be able to get him.”) Bob, having over 18 years of classical training, played on almost every song on that CD, then often sat in on many of John’s solo gigs. They began working together often as an Irish/Indian duo, and a match was made in musical heaven. This year, we are happy to announce that Ray Fogg will host the band at the Reel Bar late-night Friday and Saturday.
Behind The Scenes:
We’d like to thank John Reno, j. Hanson and Ken Doerbecker, who are always willing to lend a hand in setting up and running sound for the bands. You can’t “play well with others’ if you don’t have a sound guy! Ken does double-duty for the Phlocking, also acting as our webmaster extraordinaire
VIPs (Very Important Phlockers):
“Mr. Ed” Fitzgerald – There is no Phlocking without Mr. Ed. When we asked if he’d be willing to host this event one more time, his response was “I did this for 20 years. Of course, I’ll do it again!” There are not enough words to thank Ed and his family members for their support. Please remember, everyone at Mr. Ed’s hotel, bar and restaurant is working hard to make this event a success; let them know you appreciate them. And always, tip your servers and bartenders.
Island Time DK (Dennis King) – We heard so much about this DJ who had an online radio show and was playing great music from all the PH artists. We listened in to the show, introduced ourselves and asked him to become a part of the Phlocking. Since then, DK is the #1 promoter for the event, talking it up on his Island Time Radio Show, interviewing the musicians, playing their music and giving the Kaleys airtime to tell his listeners about Phlocking events. Thanks to Dennis, we’ve been introduced to the music of so many singers/songwriters in the Trop Rock world; he is well-respected for his knowledge of music, as well as his professionalism on the air. With the support of his wife, members of the North Coast PH Club and Ray Fogg, Dennis continued the tradition of Trop Rockin’ the North Coast at PIB for two additional years. Dennis, thanks so much for your kindness, continued support, and especially for convincing us to do this one more time!
Hand Grenade Happy Hour - If this is your first Phlocking, most likely you are wondering what exactly is a Hand Grenade Happy Hour? A seasoned Phlocker will tell you that this is the never-miss-it-party at the Phlocking. A true Phlocker will happily follow up with a wonderful story that features a Hand Grenade-related experience. Thanks to two of the kindest people on earth, Pam Fortner and Earl Bernhardt, owners of the Tropical Isle bars in New Orleans, we are able to present this very special party at Phlocking #25.
Pam and Earl have graciously given us their support over the years, even following a devastating fire in one of their bars that took place just before our Phlocking. We extend a million thanks to them for their unending kindness. Earl tells us that this year’s party will be better than ever – and we’re pretty excited about that – although we can’t imagine how it can get any better!
Watch for updates coming in the next few months. Registration forms are available at www.phlocking.com. Deadline to register (WITHOUT PENALTY) is Friday, April 19, 2019.