Local Observation / GOOD TUNES
By Christina Oxenberg
In our post apocalyptic Key West springs up a new bar. Not unexpected, granted, but I like it. Mary Ellen’s, on a slim lane already busy with salsa bars, both the salsas you eat and those you dance. New to town is Mary Ellen’s a bar creatively decorated with NYC Soho type pop-art and they made room for live music.
The changes since the hurricane meant much got ripped apart, parts of the main street remain boarded up. While other coagulations melded such as Patrick Stecher, bass player of the Swayzees, but not always strictly a Swayzee. It’s complicated.
This past Thursday Patrick played with three Swayzees and invited Captain Blues to sing. Most of the singers in town strain and cartwheel and claw for difficult notes meanwhile Captain Blues sits on a stool with the sweetest smile and accompanied by the mildest thrum of his shoulders he belts out a massive rumble, perfectly modulated, as loud as deep as long as rich as he wants. Full control. No nerves, quite the opposite, he’s loving it. He’s at his happiest doing his thing.
There are nights of magic in Key West.
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