Grammy-nominated songwriter James Slater aboard Fury.

By Shayne Benowitz

It’s that time of year again! The 17th Annual Key West Songwriters Festival rolls into town May 2-6 bringing a little bit of Nashville to our island paradise. From legendary to emerging, some of the most prominent singer/songwriters will be performing all over town for a long weekend not to be missed.

I have to say, I’m more excited than usual for this year’s festival for a few reasons. First of all, we’ve got some world class acts joining us aboard Fury May 4th and 5th for a couple of very special Commotion on the Oceans.

On Friday May 4th, we’re welcoming Chase and Jesse Rice for the Pirate Sessions. I was just on the Songwriters Festival website where you can listen to Chase and Jesse’s original “Key West Time.” It’s catchy, it totally captures the Key West spirit, and I especially love the line, “Well, that baby blue water really floats my boat.” Yeah, they get it! Give the song a listen online or buy your ticket to hear it live on board our spacious 65′ catamaran at sunset.

On May 5th, we welcome back Grammy-nominated songwriter James Slater, local’s favorite Howard Livingston, and newbies to the Fury Joey + Rori. James has performed on board many-a-times and I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing him. He’s incredibly friendly, incredibly talented, and puts on a great show. He’s written hits for the likes of Rascal Flats, Tim McGraw, and Martina McBride. For people who love trop-rock in the vein of Jimmy Buffet, Howard Livingston always delights. I’m also looking forward to seeing what Joey + Rori are all about.

Fury Girl with best friends Lisa and Krista in Nashville.

So why else am I excited about Songwriters? Well, over the last year and a half, I’ve slowly, but surely become a fan of country music. I never really thought that would happen! Being from Southern California, when my family moved to Georgia, I rebelled against all things country. I’ll give Captain Scotty some of the credits. Working on the parasail boats with him, we have fun listening to country music and eventually it was the lyrics and the songwriting that won me over. Some of my favorites include Sugarland, Blake Shelton, and Miranda Lambert. What about you guys? Any country music fans out there?

To be sure, the Key West Songwriters Festival isn’t all about country music, but just like Nashville, it’s a big part! I was just in Nashville last weekend visiting two of my best friends. It was so much fun! We dressed up as cowgirls, bought cowboy boots, and listened to some country music on Honky Tonk Row (kind of like Duval Street, but with a country accent!). The only thing we didn’t have time for was the Bluebird Cafe, which is a premiere singer/songwriter venue. Good thing they’ll be coming to us in Key West next weekend! I can’t wait!

Mariana with Javier, winners of Fury's Facebook Photo Contest.

By Shayne Benowitz

And the winner of a Key West vacation for two, including roundtrip airfare, luxury accommodations, complimentary dinner, and all-you-can-play action with Fury Water Adventures… is Mariana Fernandez! Congratulations!

What an impressive win! Mariana entered the Facebook Fan Photo Contest in May and won the monthly prize. Her photo was our profile picture the entire month! I got to chat with Mariana via email and she was so sweet and so enthusiastic about her experience in Key West!

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2012 Conch Drop at Sloppy Joe's.

By Shayne Benowitz

Is it too late to still be wishing people Happy New Year’s? I don’t think so! Although I did mean to get to this New Year’s blog sooner, I think we can take our sweet time looking forward to what the new year will bring. We had a great celebration in Key West, and it was actually the first New Year’s I’d spent here since 2006, the year I moved here. Some of my best friends and I have a longstanding tradition of traveling for New Year’s. They all came to Key West to ring in 2007, and since then we’ve been to Seattle, Las Vegas, and twice to Miami. For 2012, it was time to bring the party back to the island!
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Sloppy Joe's at Christmas

By Shayne Benowitz

Thanksgiving Day Ultimate Adventure, Christmas Parade down Duval Street, Lighted Boat Parade, Fury’s Annual Holiday Party, Santa’s Toys for Tots Sunset Sail… These are the holiday events we’ve already ticked off the list. Once the holiday’s get going in Key West, the island stays festive for the rest of the year. Key West is truly one of the most fun places to celebrate the holidays.
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By Shayne Benowitz

I love the holidays in Key West. Our streets are lit up with multi-colored lights, the palm trees at the Westin are sparkling, and everyone’s feeling festive and merry. Tomorrow night’s Lighted Boat Parade is an absolute highlight of the season. Schooners, fishing boats, and of course Fury will be decked out in lights and decorations on a promenade through the Key West Harbor.

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