Papio post-parade festival and concert stars eclectic, eccentric, and over-the-top musical fun with world-renowned band Poi Dog Pondering 

April 18, 2018 – (Key West, FL). Internationally acclaimed band Poi Dog Pondering is set to make post-parade waves on stage at the Truman Waterfront Amphitheater on Saturday, May 5 during an 90-minute concert – the icing on the cake of apost-Papio Kinetic Sculpture Parade festival presented by Key West Art & Historical Society and co-produced by Wonderdog Studios. The family-friendly festival and concert are part of a three-day, May 4-6 tribute to pioneering folk artist Stanley Papio, and a celebration of the creativity and rebel spirit of the Florida Keys.

Who better to musically embody that creative, rebel spirit than Poi Dog Pondering?  Even if you’ve never heard them, you won’t want to miss out on the fun.  The band’s multicultural lineup has entertained crowds with their varied instrumentation, easygoing humor, and offbeat fusions of folk-rock and world music for over three decades, garnering them critical acclaim and a devoted cult-like following. Their continued eclectic, authentic approach to music lets them flow where the sound takes them, ready to experiment and play while they play and perform, making soul-buoyant music with a cross-pollination of diverse musical genres for the artistic curiosity and devotional joy of it.

“I think it’s more unnatural for a band to have only one sound, especially if you have a lot of people in the band, like we do with 8 to up to 15 people, that include 4 extra singers, strings, and horns,” says Poi Dog Pondering founding member Frank Orrell. “When you’ve been a band for as long as we have, and with all these people, there are a lot of musical influences come through you.  And there are a lot of eras to the band—we’ve played in nightclubs, streets, discos. That makes the sound really lasting.”

Poi Dog’s Key West band line-up features vocalist and guitarist Orrall, violinist and vocalist Susan Voelz, trumpet and accordion player Dave Max Crawford, drummer and percussionist El John Nelson, guitarist and bassist Ted Cho, and vocalist Charlette Wortham, most of them members since the band’s early beginnings. Together they’ll create the perfect alchemy of orchestral strings, live brass, club-friendly grooves, soulful vocals and shimmering electronic textures to inspire an infectious, electric dance party.

“I love creating music because it’s like you’re playing with magic. You don’t always know what you’re going to make,” says Orrall.  “Then taking it to the stage, that’s a whole other beautiful thing.  Your intention is to get inside the music, and you’re looking for magic to happen. The band pushes you to find synergy on stage. That’s what it’s about.”

The ticketed festival at the Truman Waterfront Amphitheater starts at 5:30pm (gates open at 5:00pm) with Poi Dog Pondering taking the stage at 7:30pm and also features an awards ceremony for winning Papio Parade entries, some of the area’s favorite food trucks for feasting, refreshing libations, popular DJ Untamed Shane, a rockin’ kid’s zone with face-painting, inflatable giant slide, giant blocks for creative constructing, and recycled art workshop with Gabriela Guerrero Tapia.

Tickets are available at Kwahs.org (click “tickets”) and are $25 for adult general admission; free general admission for youth and children 17 and under (general admission is “picnic” style seating, i.e., BYO seats and blankets to sit on). VIP tickets are $75 and include access to a private, tented VIP “lounge” and bar, an exclusive front row section with seating, two drink tickets, an autographed Poi Dog Pondering poster and two passes to Fort East Martello Museum, where the Stanley Papio exhibit is featured.  Parade entrants get free festival entry. Parade watchers are invited to bring chairs and blankets to the ticketed festival and enjoy the wildly imaginative floats and art bikes as they roll onto the Amphitheater grounds for the 5:00 parade.

Sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council of the Arts and Culture, and the State of Florida. Additional “Papio’s Pals” support provided by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, Helmerich Trust, Historic Tours of America, Margaritaville Key West Resort & Marina, Pirate Radio, The Peace Store, Jimmy Lane Real Estate Team, Premier Painting, All Keys Insulation, Camping Florida Keys, Sam Kaufman Law Firm, Papa’s Pilar,Shipyard Brewing Co, Islamorada Brewing Co and South Beach Brewing Co, Tiki House Key West, and Blu on White Vacation Rentals.  Your Museums.  Your Community.  It takes an Island.

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Time to dance, create and celebrate! The third annual Papio Kinetic Sculpture and Art Bike Parade on May 5 culminates with a ticketed “Cinco de Papio Family-Friendly Party” and festival and Poi Dog Pondering concert at the newly opened Truman Waterfront Amphitheater. For details on a full weekend of hot kinetic happenings – all in tribute to Florida Keys rebel artist Stanley Papio, visit papiokineticparade.com.

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