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Brevard Live May 2023 - 1

2 - Brevard Live May 2023





Contents May 2023 

FEATURES 

NSB JAZZ FESTIVAL 

All weekend long during the NSB Jazz 

Festival there are over 20 shows featuring 

many styles of live jazz with FREE 

admission at all but one concert. Event 

promoter Marc Monteson created this 

event to help bring traffic to local businesses. 

Page 10 

BRIT FLOYD 

Brit Floyd returns to the stage to perform 

a brand-new production celebrating 50 

years of the ground-breaking and iconic 

musical masterpiece, The Dark Side of 

the Moon. 

Page 10 

INNER CIRCLE 

The Grammy Award winning band headlines 

a very special edition of ‘Jamaikin 

Me Crazy’ Saturday, May 6th at Area 

142 in Cocoa Beach. The normal Sunday 

free edition happens the next day. 

Page 12 

CHAD BALLARD INTERVIEWED 

This year marks the 35th Anniversary of 

the King Center in Melbourne. Matthew 

Bretz took the opportunity to interview 

the new Marketing Director, Chad Ballard. 

Page 16 

106 SOUTH BAND 

The core of the band is Joseph Pappalardo 

and his wife Tina Lynn who have 

played as a duo and in bands together for 

the past 22 years. In addition, the band 

consists of Russ Kellum on bass and vocals 

and Ken Mundy on drums 

Page 28 

PUNK IN THE PARK 

This year’s concert will be headlined 

by National Recording Artist Gel. Currently 

touring in support of their debut 

album ‘Only Constant,’ which the NJ 

based band released earlier this year. It 

happens Saturday, May 6th in the Eau 

Gallie Bandshell and surrounding areas. 

Page 32 

Columns 

18 

21 

30 

34 

36 

Chuck Van Riper 

The Green Shirt 

Calendars 

Live Music in 

Brevard County 

Local Lowdown 

Steve Keller’s Take 

On The Local Music 

Scene 

Flori-duh 

Charles Knight- 

Remembers The 

Last Frontier 

Fishing Report 

by Pompano Rich 



BREVARD LIVE 

The largest and most 

popular free entertainment 

magazine on the Space Coast 

and beyond for 32 years. 

Brevard Lately 

PUBLISHER 

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 

GRAPHIC ART 

AD SALES, WRITER 

COMPLAINTS 

Heike Clarke 

WRITERS 

Matthew Bretz 

Steve Keller 

Rob Pedrick 

Jason Noon 

Steve LeClair 

Charles Knight 

Sarah Kinbar 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

Bradford Martin 


COLUMNISTS 


Matthew Bretz 

Reproduction of any portion of 

Brevard Live Magazine is strictly 

prohibited without the written 

permission of the publisher. 

ADVERTISEMENT/ SALES 

Phone: (321) 956-9207 

info@brevardlive.com 

COMMENTS & LETTERS 

Brevard Live Magazine 

P.O. Box 1452 

Melbourne, Fl 32902 

Copyright © 2023 

All rights reserved 

We are not responsible for photos 

or scripts sent to Brevard Live 

Magazine. Published photos and 

articles become property of this 

publication. We are not 

responsible for wrongful 

advertised or canceled venues. 

Download a pdf file 

or read our Flip Book 

BREVARD 

FLORIDA 

LIVE 

at www.brevardlive.com 

This is what you can find in Cocoa Beach! Photo shows Skywriters at an airshow 

in Cocoa Beach in 2008. The air show was on April 15th and 16th this 

year. Photo (bottom) shows Superboats at Thunder on the Beach 2019. The 

race this yearwill be on May 20th and 21st Photos by Bradford Martin 

Read Brevard Live Magazine online 

www.BrevardLive.com/flipbook 

A list of places where you find our print issues is on our website 

www.BrevardLive.com 


Brevard Live 

May 19-21 

New Smyrna Beach 

NSB Jazz Festival 

The 21st New Smyrna Beach Jazz 

Festival takes place May 19th to 

21st, 2023. The event opens with a 

free concert featuring the New Smyrna 

Beach Middle and High School Jazz 

Bands and The Ray Guiser Quartet at 

The Brannon Center, 105 S. Riverside 

Dr. from 5:30 to 7:30pm. 

This year’s line-up will feature 

Space Coast favorites Tony Wynn and 

Cameron G. Brown Duo and Tony’s 

TW6 band. TW6 is the brainchild of 

Saxophonist Tony Wynn. The Sextet 

was formed for the purpose of melding 

young talent with seasoned musicians 

Wynn, Brown and Guitarist Walt 

Stacey with new young fresh talent 

such as keyboardist Daniel Tenbusch, 

bassist Zachary Green and drummer 

Ashton Gould. TW6 attempts to revisit 

the Jazz Classics as well as some R&B 

favorites by repackaging them with 

a new fresh spirit and feel! 

Appearing on Flagler Avenue 

on Saturday will be Cigano Swing 

for the first time, Sybil Gage and her 

Merry Band of Catahoulas are back, 

and Rich Walker coming again from 

Portland, OR and will have his Septet 

with him. Other performers are 

The Jeff Rupert Quartet, The James 

Hall Trio, Ray Guiser Quartet, Thom 

Chambers Band, Daniel “The Saxman” 

Fuqua, Packrat’s Smokehouse 

Blues and many more. The finale on 

Sunday, May 21st from noon to 3pm 

will be The Slide Show, a tribute to JJ 

Johnson and Kai Winding with special 

guest Linda Cole. That show is $ 15. 

Prior to the Sunday finale are several 

Jazz brunches with music. 

This year’s art work was done by 

local artist Cathy Berse. T-shirts, posters, 

hats and visors will be sold at at 

Janie’s Boutique, 307 Flagler Avenue 

# 102 and Julie’s at 231 Canal St 

Downtown. For lodging information: 

800-541-9621. 

All weekend long during the NSB 

Jazz Festival there are over 20 shows 

featuring many styles of live jazz with 

FREE admission at all but one concert. 

Event promoter Marc Monteson created 

this event to help bring traffic to 

local businesses. For the complete list 

of entertainers, venues and times, go 

to www.nsbjazzfest.com. 

Saturday, May 27, 8pm 

King Center, Melbourne 

Brit Floyd 

Brit Floyd returns to the stage to 

perform a brand-new production 

celebrating 50 years of the groundbreaking 

and iconic musical masterpiece, 

The Dark Side of the Moon. The 

show will feature classic tracks from 

the album such as Time, Money, Us 

and Them and Great Gig in the Sky. 

The 21/2 hours plus set list will 

also include other highlights from Pink 

Floyd’s magnificent catalogue of albums, 

including tracks from The Wall, 

Wish You Were Here, Animals, The 

Division Bell, Medal and much more. 

Taking to the stage to perform note 

for note renditions of all these classic 

Pink Floyd tracks will be the band of 

musicians that audiences have become 

familiar with worldwide featuring long 

time guitarist/vocalist Damian Darlington, 

who has played over 2500 

Pink Floyd music related concerts. The 

band will also feature Ian Cattell, Edo 

Scordo, Eva Avila and all the other 

expert musicians that have joined Brit 

Floyd over the last decade. 



Brevard Live 

Saturday, May 6th at Area 142 in Cocoa Beach 

INNER CIRCLE 

By Steve Keller 

“Is this story about the band 

or the show that is coming 

up,” asks bassist and founding 

member of the legendary 

band Inner Circle, Ian Lewis. 

He seems pleased to find out 

that it is both. The Grammy 

Award winning band headlines 

a very special edition of 

‘Jamaikin Me Crazy’ Saturday, 

May 6th at Area 142 in Cocoa 

Beach. 

The promoter of the series, George 

Toler, has known and worked with 

Lewis and the band for over 40 years. 

“Inner Circle is one of the hardest 

working reggae bands I’ve ever had the 

pleasure to work with,” he proclaims. 

“Ian and his brother Roger have kept 

their music alive for over 50 years 

and beyond.” Lewis is quick to point 

out that Reggae music has two facets; 

modern and traditional. “Young people 

have to understand where the modern 

sound originated from,” he says. “It’s 

all about vibrations, it doesn’t matter 

the color of your skin.” He may be considered 

an expert on this subject with 

a certain crossover hit that defined the 

band many years ago. 

‘Bad Boys’. Just reading those two 

words ignites the song inside your 

head. Released in 1987, it became the 

theme song for the TV show ‘Cops’ in 

1989 and part of the American culture. 

It became so popular, the band is also 

sometimes known as the ‘Bad Boys of 

Reggae’. Lewis wants people to listen 

to more than just the catchy chorus. 

As he told Rolling Stone Magazine in 

2017, “I hope people take a moment to 

understand that the song is about teenage 

life and becoming semi-aggressive 

as you start growing up.” The phenomenon 

led a movie franchise staring Will 

Smith and Martin Lawrence. Lewis 

mentions that there are plans to release 

a fourth movie in the near future. 

The iconic song also has value outside 

of the silver screen. At press time, 

Wendy’s has released a commercial to 

promote their $5 Biggie Bags. The cashiers 

are ‘Bag Boys’ (“whatcha gonna 

do when we bring your food”) while the 

original song plays in the background. 

Reggae music here in Brevard has 

been on the rise for the last couple of 

years. Bands like Tidal Theory, Part 

One Tribe and Coastal Breed have all 

seen success in Central Florida. One local 

band, Drifting Roots, has made the 

most impact in the shortest time, thanks 

to numerous tours throughout the coun- 


try playing along with many well-known Reggae bands. 

They will be the opening act on May 6th. “It’s always 

cool to play with a band that I’ve been listening to since I 

was a kid,” remarks singer/guitarist Matthew Mavericks. 

Adds bassist Joey Zizzo, “It’s a blessing and an honor to 

play and share the stage with Reggae legends.” 

Jamaikin Me Crazy kicked off their latest season a few 

months ago at new venue Area 142. The loyal fans followed 

suit quickly making it an essential Sunday destination. 

The Inner Circle concert will be a special ticketed 

event happening on a Saturday. The normal Sunday free 

edition happens the next day. 

Inner Circle started out in Kingston, Jamaica in 1968 with 

Lewis and his brother Roger on bass and guitar respectively. 

They were the backup band for singer Jacob Miller 

until his untimely death in a car accident in 1980. They 

disbanded soon after but regrouped again permanently in 

1986. ‘Bad Boys’ sold half a million records in the US 

and four million worldwide. They received a Grammy 

Award for ‘Best Reggae Album by a duo or group’ in 

1993, followed up by the international hit ‘Sweat (Ah La 

La La La Long)’. These were the crossover hits that solidified 

the band’s place in music history. “What’s amazing 

is that they are not just a reggae band but actually won 

their Grammy Award with a “Pop Music” song which had 

heavy air play on CHR (contemporary hits radio) and 

skyrocketed on Billboard charts,” offers Toler. 

The band was also immortalized in their home country. 

Both Lewis Brothers and Jacob Miller received the Order 

of Distinction in 2019 from the Jamaican government. 

The band features long tenured members Bernard “Touter” 

Harvey on keyboards (since 1973), Lancelot Hall on 

drums (since 1986), Trevor “Skatta” Bonnick on vocals 

(since 2013) and Andre Phillps on guitar (since 2017). 

Over the years, the band has played many of the world’s 

largest music festivals. They have shared the stage with 

such music heavyweights as Elton John, Van Morrison, 

The Black Crowes, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page and 

Carlos Santana, just to name a few. Most recently, the 

band played The Florida Groves Festival last month in 

Orlando with Drifting Roots, and have shows booked for 

the remainder of this year and into next. 

Ian Lewis is looking forward to the show this month. 

“George Toler is a pioneer in bringing Reggae to Florida,” 

he says mentioning that this will be the 7th or 8th 

time the band has played Brevard. “I want to give a shout 

out to all of our fans and we will see everyone at Jamaikin 

Me Crazy!” 




Brevard Live 

Interview with 

Chad Ballard of 

the King Center 

By Matthew Bretz 

This year marks the 35th Anniversary 

of the King Center 

in Melbourne. I remember 

going to one of the first shows 

after it opened. It was the Flying 

Karamazov Brothers, a famous 

juggling act my mother 

took me to see. Since then, the 

amount of amazing nights I’ve 

had there have been enumerable 

and the theater has been 

a big part of my life. I’m sure 

there quite a few who can say 

the same. Chad Ballard came 

to us a little over a year ago as 

the new director of marketing 

and sales through ASM Global 

who now handles the day to 

day operations for the King 

Center. We took some time to 

get to know our new neighbor; 

here’s what happened. 

Here we are at the 35th Anniversary 

of the King Center. That’s a big 

deal to a lot of us in this area. What’s 

the energy like around the theater 

right now? What kinds of celebrations 

or events are planned this season in 

regard to the anniversary? 

CB: The 35th Anniversary is a special 

time for us at the King Center and 

we are very proud to share the legacy 

of the venue on the Space Coast. So 

many people have those fond memories 

of growing up and seeing special 

events at the King Center. We recently 

held a special dedication event during 

the Broadway run of Fiddler on 

the Roof on the exact date of the first 

performance at the venue, Singin in 

the Rain, April 10, 1988. More exciting 

events and activities are planned all 

throughout this year! Follow along on 

social media for fun behind the scenes 

content and event updates! 

You moved here from Nashville, 

one of the most musically dynamic 

cities in the world. What brought you 

to Florida and ultimately the King 

Center? 

CB: Nashville is a GREAT music 

town, they don’t call it “Music City” 

for nothing! I enjoyed my time there, 

but I truly missed living in Florida, 

being near the ocean, all the wildlife 

and various activities we have here in 

this beautiful state. I spent five years 

in Tampa prior to moving to Nashville 

and saw an opportunity to return to 

Florida, this time on the East Coast! 

We’ve got them (Tampa) beat on the 

ocean breeze! 

Especially during hurricane 

season! The King Center has been 

through a lot of changes over the 

years, especially during the pandemic. 

Security increased by quite a bit - for 

good reason. There is new bar area 

where the art gallery used to be. Can 

you talk about some the significant 

upgrades and changes the Center has 

been through? 

CB: The King Center underwent the 

first phase of a tremendous renovation 

that has transformed the lobby and security 

entrance as well as Crown Club 

and HVAC system. While it may seem 

as an annoyance, the security for all 

who attend the events is paramount 

to ensure that ALL fans who attend, 

can enjoy the shows while minimizing 

any potential threats to those who may 

wish to do us harm. With the lobby 

now fully transformed and modernized, 

it allows for a much quicker bar 

and concession line as well as more 

lobby space for patrons to make their 

way to their seats. 

You seem to have jumped in head 

first and really adapted around here. 

You definitely have the knack for it! 

What inspired you to get into entertainment 

and events? 

CB: I have always been a huge fan of 

sports & football stadiums growing up, 

having played football during my high 

school years. Seeing some of the largest 

games in those iconic venues such 

as Texas Stadium with the hole in the 

roof, the warehouse theme inspiration 

of Camden Yards in Baltimore has always 

been an amazing experience in 

person. The sense of belonging you 

feel when you attend a live music or 

sporting event is like nothing else! 

Finding new friends in your section 

cheering for the same team or singing 

at the top of your lungs to your favorite 

artist and song. We truly saw the 

power of live sports and entertainment 

and that sense of belonging when it 

went away and came to a grinding halt 

during the pandemic. Live touring music 

and sporting events are back and 

bigger than ever now with more and 

more entertainment options for fans all 

around the country and world. It’s truly 

great to have this all back on track! 

Some pretty big shows have come 

through during your time here so 

far—can you talk about some of the 

more memorable shows or artists that 

have come through? Any interesting 

continued page 24 



The Column 

By Chuck Van Riper 

The Green Shirt Debacle 

decided I needed a new shirt, so I head on down to the 

I local JC Penny, because I’m a classy friggin guy! I go 

straight to the sale rack and find a green shirt marked down 

from $58 to $17.99. Great! I head to the cashier and use 

my debt card to pay for it. As I’m paying for it, I hear the 

familiar ding alerting me to the fact that some purchase 

has been made on my card, instantly. Cool. I get home 

a few minutes later and put on my new purchase. It’s terrible, 

no wonder it only cost $17.99. It wasn’t even worth 

that! Why did I buy a green shirt? I never wear green. It 

looks terrible on me. I don’t even like green. Did I have 

some sort of temporary color blindness or did I just buy 

it because it was supposedly a good deal without contemplating 

the resulting disgust? Was it temporary insanity? 

At any rate, I had to return it. So, I head back to the store 

and return the item. I’m told my money would be refunded 

in 7-10 business days. Why? It took seconds to take it 

out of my account, yet they can’t put it back immediately? 

And why “business days”? Can’t they make an electronic 

transaction on a Saturday? Why would that be? If only 

there was a system where payments could be made at any 

time, day or night, and take place instantly. Well, maybe 

now there will be. 

First we have to look at “Real Time Payments”, or RTP. 

RTP has been around for a while. Since 2017, the Clearing 

House RTP has been one of the main services proving 

interoperability to banks and payment services like Western 

Union and more currently services like Zelle, which 

is now used by many banks and credit unions. Venmo is 

another example. Still, depending on banking infrastructure, 

it takes a while to get money back. This may be because 

a bank may process electronic processes once a day 

or once a week, depending on the bank. So refunds and 

such might take a while. The banks make money on these 

transactions by charging a fee. The fees usually vary depending 

on the amount of the transfer. There is actually a 

government agency working on these things. Really! 

Since 2015, the Federal Reserve has convened the 


Faster Payments Task Force, or FTPF. The goal of the 

FTPT is “to identify and assess alternative approaches for 

implementing safe and ubiquitous instant payment capabilities 

in the United States.” This includes Social Security 

payments and things like that. I wonder how much 

this task force has cost the taxpayer? Hmmm.. Anyway.. 

I get a statement, for example, that my social security 

will be deposited on the 3rd of the month. Why does it 

take 3 days to get to me if they send it out on the 1st 

of the month? Can’t they just send it out 3 days earlier? 

Then it would be there on the 1st of the month. Now see, 

that didn’t take a task force to figure out. Nevertheless, 

they’re working on it. 

There is a great conspiracy theory going around that 

goes something like this: The Federal Reserve is putting 

together a program that you can use, similar to Zelle. The 

program will be backed by a federal cryptocurrency made 

just for this program. Once enrolled, the Federal Reserve 

can track all your purchases, watch your every financial 

move, and even cut off your account when they deem it 

inappropriate, like when you’re buying a gun, or 50 cases 

of Twinkies, or anything they deem suspicious. This 

would also usher in the world of cashless society where 

paper money is banned. The dollar would be obsolete. 

The program is called FedNow. 

Sound scary! ARGGHHHH! Well, after a little research, 

we can all breathe a little easier. Firstly, yes, there is a 

FedNow program that will be implemented by the Federal 

Reserve by June. Secondly, there are talks of a central 

bank digital currency (CBDC). The two, however, are not 

interrelated and anybody saying so seems to be conflating 

the two. FedNow is actually a type of Real Time Payment 

(RTP), similar to Zelle, Venmo, and the like. So, 

what’s the difference? Not much. The transaction fees 

will be comparable to the competition, as will the maximum 

transfer amounts. The main difference seems to be 

the governance of the entities. Most RTP’s are run by a 

consortium of banks. FedNow is run by the Federal Reserve 

and is meant to make payments, in either direction, 

instantaneous. While I don’t trust the Fed, I sure could 

have used it during my green shirt debacle. Then again, 

why don’t we just go back to the gold standard like the 

rest of the world. 



1 - MONDAY 

COCOA BEACH FISH 

CAMP: 7pm Kevin Sanders; 

7pm Karaoke 

LOU’S BLUES: 7pm Dirty 

Bingo 

SANDBAR: 8pm Jam Band 

2 - TUESDAY 

CADILLAC COVE: 7pm 

Latin Dance 

FOO BAR: 7pm Trivia 

LOU’S BLUES: 6:30pm Trivia 

SANDBAR: 9pm Electric 

Tuesdaze 

SOCIAL DISTANCE: 8pm 

Jam w/ Russ Kellum 

3 - WEDNESDAY 


Karaoke 


CAMP: 6pm Dueling Pianos 

HEIDI’S JAZZ CLUB: 7pm 

TBA 

HURRICANE CREEK 

SALOON: 7-9pm Free Dance 

Lessons; 9pm Country Music 

DJ 

KEY WEST BAR: 8pm Billy 

Chapman 

LOU’S BLUES: 7:30pm 

Rock-Star Karaoke 

SANDBAR: 8pm Jake Salter 


Dirty Bingo 

VILLAGE BIER GARTEN: 

6pm Karaoke 

4 - THURSDAY 

BLIND LION: 6pm SC 

Comedy 


Trivia 


CAMP: 5pm ScottE Hopson; 

7pm Line Dancing 

EARL’S HIDEAWAY: 6pm 

Beautiful Bobby Blackmon 

FOO BAR: 8pm Latin Night 

DJ 


Sybil Gage HURRICANE 

CREEK SALOON: 7-9pm 

Free Dance Lessons; 9pm 

Country Music DJ 


Shelley Songer Band 

SANDBAR: 8pm Karaoke 

SLOW & LOW CB: 7pm 

Matt Riley 

SOCIAL DISTANCE: 8:30pm 

Alexander James 


6pm James Gang Band 

May 2023 

Entertainment Calendar 

CINCO DE MAYO 

5 - FRIDAY 

BLIND LION: 8pm Jeff 

Stanton Trio 


Latin Dance 


CAMP: 9pm private party 


Papa Wheelee 

FOO BAR: 10pm DJ Dexter 


Steve Kirsner & Friends; 7pm 

TBA 




DJ 

KEY WEST BAR: 9pm 106 

South Band 


Karaoke w/ Bob Neal; 9pm 

Umbrella Thieves 

PUB AMERICANA MELB: 

5pm Billy Chapman 

SANDBAR: 4pm Jeff Marquis; 

9pm Bullet Dodgers 

SLOW & LOW CB: 7pm 2 

Rock 

SLOW & LOW Viera: 

5:30pm Dave Meyers 

SC HARLEY DAVIDSON: 

4pm All American Band 


Shelley Songer Band; 1:30am 

DJ 


3pm Accordion Nick; 7pm My 

Remedy 

6 - SATURDAY 

AREA 142/JMC: 2pm Inner 

Circle; Drifting Roots 

BLIND LION: 8pm Don 

Alexander & The Alley Gators 

CADILLAC COVE: 1pm Syd 

Taylor, 7pm Just Us 


CAMP: 9pm Private Party 

CROWNE PLAZA: 1-4pm 

Skylar Green; 6pm Aquinas 


Checkmate; 8pm Jules Rios 

FOO BAR: 10pm DJ White 

Wolf 


Rev Billy C Wirtz; 7pm Aolani 

& The Ron Teixeira Trio 




DJ 

KEY WEST BAR: 9pm Lil 

Lin Band 

LOU’S BLUES: 1pm Joshua 

Keels; 5:30pm Karaoke w/ 

Cindy; 9pm Switch 


5pm TBA 

SANDBAR: 1pm The 

Syndicate; 9pm Cheetah 

Coalition 


Adam 

SLOW & LOW Viera: 5:30pm 

Refish Rich 


11am Chimps On A Limb 


Midlife Crisis Band; 1:30am DJ 


4pm Nick on Accordion; 9pm 

DJ BG 

7 - SUNDAY 

AREA 142/JMC: 2pm Blazin 

Posse; DJ C-Lioness 

CADILLAC COVE: 3pm Jeff 

Bynum 

CROWNE PLAZA: 1pm Part 

One Tribe 


Frank Bang 


TBA 

LOU’S BLUES: 2pm Radar 

Red; 7pm Corey Kipps 


3:30pm T.A. Williams 

SANDBAR: 4pm Smokin 

Torpedoes; 10pm DJ Cerino 


Pompano Pete 

SC HARLEY: 11am Changes 

Band 


3pm Davis Hattaway 

8 - MONDAY 


CAMP: 6pm Syndicate; 7pm 

Karaoke 


Bingo 


9 - TUESDAY 


Latin Dance 


HEIDI’S JAZZ CLUB: 

5:30pm TBA 



Tuesdaze 



10 - WEDNESDAY 


Karaoke 




Day Tripper 




DJ 

KEY WEST BAR: 8pm Syd 

Taylor 

LOU’S BLUES: 7:30pm Rock- 

Star Karaoke 

SANDBAR: 8pm Projet Orcon 

Revival 


Dueling Pianos 


6pm Karaoke 

11 - THURSDAY 


Comedy 


Trivia 


CAMP: 4:30pm Teddy V; 7pm 

Line Dancing 


Kurt Stevens 


DJ HEIDI’S JAZZ CLUB: 

7pm Shayna Steele 




DJ 

LOU’S BLUES: 7:30pm The 

Fog 


SLOW & LOW CB: 7pm Matt 

Riley 


Karalyn Woulas 


6pm TBA 

12 - FRIDAY 

BLIND LION: 8pm Tony 

Wynn & Cameron Brown 

CADILLAC COVE: 7pm DJ 

Dvcati 


CAMP: 9pm Anja 

CROWNE PLAZA: 6pm 

LUVU 


Roughouse 

FOO BAR: 10pm DJ Ducati 



Krystal Clarke & The Daniel 

Tenbusch Trio 




DJ 

KEY WEST BAR: 9pm Pinch 





Jaded Saints 


5pm Ricky T 

SANDBAR: 4pm TBA; 9pm 

Tidal Theory 

SLOW & LOW CB: 7pm Tim 

England 


Wes Hufnagel 


Absolute Blue; 1:30am DJ 


4pm Accordion Nick; 7pm 

RokSlyde 

13 - SATURDAY 

BLIND LION: 8pm Smoking 

Torpedoes 


Juiced 

CROWNE PLAZA: 1pm Matt 

Rosman; 6pm Azar Collective 


Radar Red; 8pm Shovelhed 



Rev Billy C Wirtz; 7pm TBA 




DJ 

KEY WEST BAR: 9pm Jerry 

White 

LOU’S BLUES: 1pm Denise 

Turner; 5:30pm Karaoke 

w/ Cindy; 9pm Are Friends 

Electric 


4-7pm Vince Love 


Sky Club 

SLOW & LOW CB: 7pm TBA 


Tim England 


11am Ryz-N-Soulz 


Rios Rock Band; 1:30am DJ 


4pm Accordion Nick; 8pm 

Umbrella Thieves 

MOTHER’S DAY 

14 - SUNDAY 

AREA 142/JMC: 2-8pm Top 

Hill Crew; DJ C-Lioness 

CADILLAC BEACH: TBA 


CAMP: 2pm Syndicate 


Krystal Clarke Band; Banquet 

Room: 12pm Tomas Lopez 


Toppermost (Beatles Tribute) 


TBA 

LOU’S BLUES: 2pm Hwy 1; 

7pm Catgut Stitches 


closed 

SANDBAR: 4pm Short Circuit; 

10pm DJ Cerino 

SLOW & LOW CB: 5pm 2 

Rock 


11am Chris Petranoff 


3pm Sean Adams 

15 - MONDAY 


CAMP: 6pm Megan Katarina, 

7pm Karaoke 


Bingo 


16 - TUESDAY 


Latin Dance 




Tuesdaze 




6pm David Hattaway 



Karaoke 




Billy D & Friends 




DJ 


Star Karaoke 

KEY WEST BAR: 8pm Tina 

& Joe 

SANDBAR: 8pm Teddy V 


Duncan Jay Comedy Show 


6pm Karaoke Night 

18 - THURSDAY 


Comedy 


Trivia 


CAMP: 4:30pm Alex James; 



Swamp Dawgs 



7pm Sybil Gage 




DJ 

LOU’S BLUES: 7:30pm Syd 

Taylor Band 



Riley 


Shelley Songer Duo 


6pm Joshua Keels 

19 - FRIDAY 

BLIND LION: 8pm Robby 

King Trio 


Latin Dance 


CAMP: 9pm Identy Crisis 


Switch 


Good Fellas 




Frank Bang 




DJ 

KEY WEST BAR: 9pm Jerry 

White 



Jette County Dragster 


5pm Alex James 

SANDBAR: 4pm Jeff Marquis; 

9pm Natty Common Roots 


Buck Barefoot 


2 Rock 


Karalyn & Dawn Patrol; 

1:30am DJ 


4pm Nick on Accordion; 

7:30pm Cherry Down 

20 - SATURDAY 

BLIND LION: 8pm Josh 

Miller 

CADILLAC COVE: 1pm Syd; 

6pm Sheep Dawgs 


CAMP: 9pm Vintage 


Island Breeze 


Nasty Habits; 8pm Wicked 

Garden Gnomes 



Rev Billy C Wirtz; 7pm Aolani 

& The Ron Teixeira Trio 




DJ 

KEY WEST BAR: 9pm 

Loaded Dice 

LOU’S BLUES: 1pm John 

McDonald; 5:30pm Karaoke w/ 

Cindy; 9pm Luna Pearl 


5pm TBA 


Love Valley 


Dave Myers 

SLOW & LOW Viera: 

5:30pm TBA 


11am All American Band 


Rockfish; 1:30am DJ 



DJ BG 

21 - SUNDAY 

AREA 142/JMC: 2pm 506 

Crew; DJ J-Sinn 

CADILLAC COVE: 11am 

Combobulator 


Coastal Breed 


Chris Duarte 


RSelwyn Birchwood 

LOU’S BLUES: 2pm Vince 

Reed; 7pm Jeff Bynum 


3:30pm Vince Love 

SANDBAR: 4pm Absolute 

Blue; 10pm DJ Cerino 

SLOW & LOW CB: 5pm Tim 

England 

SC HARLEY: 11am Hi 

Mileage Band 


3pm Joshua Keels 

22 - MONDAY 


CAMP: 7pm Travis Daigle; 

7pm Karaoke 


Bingo 


23 - TUESDAY 


Latin Dance 






Tuesdaze 





Karaoke 




Hella Ayelet Gal & The CJ Duo 




DJ 


Star Karaoke 

KEY WEST BAR: 8pm Syd 

Taylor 

SANDBAR: 8pm Adam Sean 


Team Trivia 


6pm Karaoke 

25 - THURSDAY 


Comedy 


Trivia 


CAMP: 4:30pm Joel Elliot; 



Sea Monster 



7pm Sybil Gage 




DJ 


Juiced 



Riley 


Jeff Bazemore 


6pm TBA 

26 - FRIDAY 

BLIND LION: 8pm Tony 

Wynn & Cameron Brown 

CADILLAC COVE: 7pm DJ 

Watersocks 


CAMP: 9pm Lowell Everly 


RokSlyde 


Twisted Minds Inc 




Krystal Clarke & Ton Teixeira 

Trio 




KEY WEST BAR: 9pm TBA 



King County 


5pm John McDonald 


Bullet Dodgers 

SLOW & LOW CB: 7pm Wes 

Hufnagel 


Refish Rich 


Radar Red; 1:30am DJ 



Sean Adams 

27 - SATURDAY 

BLIND LION: 8pm TW6 


TBA; 7:30pm Lil Lin Band 


CAMP: 4pm Teddy V; 8pm 

Different Strings 


Johnny Debt 


Phoenix; 8pm Crashrocket 



Rev Billy C Wirtz; 7pm Hella 

Ayelet Gal w/ Ron Teixeira Trio 




KEY WEST BAR: 9pm 

Rockfish 

LOU’S BLUES: 1pm Don 

Ugly; 5:30pm Karaoke w/ 

Cindy; 9pm Groove Infusion 


5pm Jeff Bazemore 

SANDBAR: 6pm Heatstroke; 

9pm Karalyn & Dawn Patrol 


11am John Otis Band; 4pm 

Ryz-N-Soulz 


Pompano Pete 


Wes Hufnagel 


Murphy’s Law; 1:30am DJ 

28 - SUNDAY 

AREA 142/JMC: 2-8pm Deja; 

Selector Longenecker 

CADILLAC COVE: 3pm Jeff 

Bynum 

CROWNE PLAZA: 1pm 506 

Crew 


Tribucon 

HEIDI’S JAZZ CLUB: 

5:30pm Marcus Machado/ 

Tribute to Jimi Hendrix 

LOU’S BLUES: 2pm Coolers; 

7pm The Beach 


3:30pm Alex James 

SANDBAR: 4pm Stoney & 

The House Rockers; 10pm DJ 

Cerino 


11am Shelley Songer Band; 

3pm Forte Band 


Sidney 


3pm Pink Spice Band 

MEMORIAL DAY 

29 - MONDAY 


CAMP: 6pm Kevin Sanders; 

7pm Karaoke 

CROWNE PLAZA: 1pm Blue 

Diamond Band 


Love Valley 


Bingo 


SC HARLEY: 11am Rip Tide 

Duo; 3pm All American Band 

30 - TUESDAY 


Latin Dance 




Tuesdaze 





Karaoke 




Billy D & Friends 




DJ 


Star Karaoke 

KEY WEST BAR: 8pm Mary 

Buck 

SANDBAR: 8pm Syndicate 

Duo 


Comedy Showcase 


6pm Karaoke 

COMMUNITY 

CALENDAR 

May 1: Music of the Theater 

Concert, Brevard Chorale, 

Simpkins Fine Arts Auditorium 

– EFSC Cocoa Campus, 

321-794-7528 

May 3 & 4: May Mysteries 

Concert, Melbourne Community 

Orchestra, Melbourne 

Auditorium, 321-285-6724 

May 5: Opening Reception: 

The View From A Blind Eye: 

Solo Exhibition by Esta Rubin, 

Fifth Avenue Art Gallery, 

EGAD, 321-259-8261 

May 5: First Friday Reception: 

Joseph Wade Exhibit, Eau Gallery, 

321-253-5553 

May 6: Brevard Community 

Chorus Concert, King Center, 

Melbourne, 321-242-2219 

May 6: Opening Reception, 

Studios of Cocoa Beach, 321- 

613-3480 

May 7: Jazz Concert: Ron 

Teixeira & 2023 Jazz Society 

Scholarship Winners: Jazz Concert, 

Space Coast Jazz Society, 

Veterans Memorial Center, 

Merritt Island 

May 13: The Groove Shack 

Concert, The Tangiers, Palm 

Bay, 321-327-8759 

May 19: Rodney Carrington, 

King Center, Melbourne, 321- 

242-2219 

May 19: Friday Fest, Downtown 

Cocoa Beach 

May 19 – Jun 25: The Cemetery 

Club, Melbourne Civic 

Theatre, Downtown Melbourne, 

321-723-6935 

May 20: Classic Albums Live: 

Tom Petty – Damn the Torpedoes, 

King Center, Melbourne, 

321-242-2219 

May 24: A Salute to Jazz, 

Melbourne Municipal Band, 

Melbourne Auditorium, 321- 

724-0555 

May 26-28: Hot Pink presents: 

continued next page 


CHAD BALLARD INTERVIEW 

continued 

or funny stories from behind 

the scenes? 

CB: We’ve had some 

amazing artists come 

through so far! This August 

will mark two years 

for me at the King Center 

and in that span I’ve been 

fortunate enough to help 

to promote and host events 

such as Ron White, George 

Thorogood, Il Divo, Chris 

Daughtry, Tom Segura, Jim 

Gaffigan, Nate Bargatze, 

Leanne Morgan, The Indigo 

Girls, The Beach Boys 

w/ John Stamos, while 

also having nationally recognized 

Broadway events 

such Chicago, Waitress and 

Fiddler on the Roof, and 

don’t forget, Space Coast 

fan favorites Classic Albums 

Live just to name a 

few! We always make sure 

the artists stay safe and enjoy 

their stay here at the 

King Center – they have 

the better stories though! 

What kinds of exciting 

things can we look for 

in the future of the King 

Center? 

CB: This is the year of 

the anniversaries! The 

King Center celebrating 

35 years, our resident arts 

companies Brevard Symphony 

Orchestra will be 

embarking on 70 years as 

an organization this fall. 

Both Space Coast Ballet 

and Classic Albums Live 

will be celebrating 20 years 

of the Nutcracker and national 

touring respectively. 

And fans can expect even 

more nationally recognized 

shows coming to the Space 

Coast. With the influx of 

people moving to the area, 

we are seeing and feeling 

more demand for top talent. 

Rest assured, our team 

is working around the clock 

to bring in the highest form 

of entertainment to the region 

and to continue to create 

those amazing memories 

together singing along to every 

word. 

You have the mic, 

Chad! Is there anything 

you would you like to say to 

the good people of Brevard? 

CB: We look forward to 

seeing you in the lobby at 

the King Center – feel free 

to stop by and say hello, 

and we hope you tell your 

friends and family to come 

out and enjoy a show with 

us soon! 

www.Kingcenter.com 

FB - @King.Center 

IG - @KingCenterMelbourne 

COMMUNITY CALENDAR 

continued 

Throwback to the Future, Historic 

Cocoa Village Playhouse, 

321-636-5050 

May 27: Brit Floyd, King Center, 

Melbourne, 321-242-2219 

May 27: The Best of John 

Williams: A Side by Side Concert, 

Space Coast Symphony 

Orchestra, The Scott Center at 

Holy Trinity, Melbourne, 855- 

252-7276 

May 27: Vendor Market, Field 

Manor, Merritt Island, 321-848- 

0365 

May 28: Central Florida 

Winds: March On! Concert, 

Suntree United Methodist 

Church, Melbourne, 321-405- 

2359 

Cultural events provided by 

Brevard Cultural Alliance. 

ArtsBrevard.org/events 





Brevard Live 

106 South Band 

By Steve LeClair 

There are lots of songs about roads 

and highways. Route 66 and Ventura 

HIghway come to mind pretty 

quickly but would you relate a name 

like 106 South Band to a road or a 

highway? Well, that’s exactly where 

it came from. But wait, 106? There’s 

no 106 anything around here! So as 

the story goes.... the band Rt 106 had 

its origins in Long Island, New York 

and is named after Rt 106, a 13 mile 

road that runs from Hempstead to 

Oyster Bay. After two of its members 

relocated to Florida, those band members 

took on the name 106 South Band 

(the bandmates that stayed up north, 

renamed their band 106 North!). The 

core of the band is Joseph Pappalardo 

and his wife Tina Lynn who have 

played both as a duo and in bands together 

for the past 22 years. In addition 

to Joe and Tina, the band consists 

of Russ Kellum on bass guitar and vocals 

and Ken Mundy on drums. 

They started playing in Brevard 

County around five years ago and provide 

audiences with a varied array of 

music along with both, electric and 

acoustic arrangements. When they 

first met they found out while talking 

that she sang, mostly choir and classical, 

and he was a guitarist. Although 

they have varied tastes, music was the 

center of their worlds, and they got together 

to start performing. You’ll find 

that their sets vary from the Cranberries 

to Zeppelin and lots of others in 

between. Tina told us, “Our sets are 

like listening to the music when we 

were younger driving around town 

in the 80’s and 90’s, the songs we 

love!” A few years ago when Joe and 

Tina first moved to our area, they attended 

an open mic where they met 

Russ and became friends. Russ knew 

Ken and brought him into 106 South 

about a year or so ago. One interesting 

fun story, is that Joe and Tina stay 

in touch with the 106 North Band and 

have traveled back home to do reunion 

gigs with them. Let’s meet everyone! 

Joe - From his earliest memories 

as a child, he always was mesmerized 

by the guitar. He came from a musical 

family where his uncle John was his 

biggest influence and his first guitar 

teacher. His parents and cousins were 

also a huge influence in helping shape 

his musical taste. As he grew into his 

teens he became more focused on learning 

how to play, initially learning from 

song books by the Beatles and Rolling 

Stones progressing and learning how 

to play chords, and then graduating to 

Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and other 

bands playing along with the records. 

Along the way he played in various garage 

bands playing gigs at house parties 

and wherever they would let him 

come plug and play. Always with the 

dream of someday playing in a working 

rock ‘n’ roll band. It was not until 

he met his future wife and soulmate in 

December 2000 that his lifelong dream 

became a reality. He remembers the 

first time she told him that she sang 

and played a recording she did with 

college friends of “When the Children 

Cry”. He was instantly taken by her 

voice and her amazing ability to adapt 

to so many styles of music. As their relationship 

grew, they also played and 

practiced together. All along building 

their chops, confidence and an eclectic 

master song list they met players 

and made friends that would eventually 

become the 106 band. That band 

made some noise on the Long Island 

Bar scene! Having relocated to Florida 

to hopefully improve their quality 

of life., Joe and Tina formed the 106 

South Band and still continue to do the 

acoustic duo shows (after more than 

two decades of playing together by the 

way). Sometimes they even have their 

children sitting in who have their own 

bands as well. Joe can’t imagine performing 

looking to his left and seeing 

another person other than Tina, and he 

is enjoying every moment living his 

dream. 

Tina Lynn began her love affair 

with music when she was a little 

girl. Her father is from Greece and 

as a child he would lead call and response 

singing with his cousins every 

weekend. Tina also sang in her church 

choir and played flute in her town’s 

community youth orchestra. Later on 

in adolescence she began singing in 

local bands in her hometown. During 

college she toured two times in Great 

Britain with a 12 member a cappella 

vocal group and recorded as a studio 

vocalist for original music composers. 

In 2000, she met guitarist Joe and 

within the first few dates, they bonded 

over a shared love of music and formed 

their first band together. Twenty-two 

years later they are still together in all 

things. They are bandmates, husband 

and wife, proud parents and grandparents. 

They play together as a band (106 

South) and as a duo (Joe and Tina). 

Outside of the band, Tina works in the 

education field and she enjoys spending 

time with her husband, family and 

friends. Tina told me, “What makes 

playing in Brevard special is that there 

is a sense of community here that I 

have never felt anywhere else. I also 

love the people that come see our band 

play because they just want to have a 

great time and enjoy songs that they 

know and love. I hope that we provide 

that to them.” Tina said, “The nights 

we do the acoustic duo, we call date 

nights!” 




Brevard Live 

106 SOUTH BAND 

continued 

Russ Kellum is on bass. He began 

cutting his teeth in venues all over the 

north-east playing all styles of music. 

As his skills grew, so did his admiration 

for the greats such as Jimi Hendrix, 

Jerry Garcia, Carlos Santana, 

David Gilmour and many more. He 

moved to Florida in 1997 and has 

enjoyed great success in the music 

scene and was nominated for Guitar 

Player of the Year in the BMAs for 

2009. He is always complimented for 

his tone, phrasing and feeling and his 

ability to make his guitar weep one 

second and set it on fire the next. He 

has played with numerous local acts 

as well as National Recording Artists 

such as Pat Travers, Dangerous 

Dan Toler of the Allman Brothers and 

Greg Allman Band, Jason Ricci, Sean 

Chambers,Todd Sharpville, Leanne 

Binder, Lucy Iris and much sought after 

LA Studio Musician Paul Ill. Russ 

was honored to open for Gov’t Mule in 

2010. 

Always improvising and always 

searching for that “tone”, Russ has 

the time of his life playing and has 

developed quite a loyal following that 

continues to grow every day. Russ is 

an Eminence Speaker Endorsee and is 

sponsored by Gwin Amplification 

Ken Mundy is on drums. He relocated 

to Brevard from LA where he 

played professionally with signed artists 

and did studio work also. His favorite 

drummers include Taylor Hawkins, 

Stewart Copeland, John Bonham and 

Ringo Starr to name a few but says really 

great drummers to him are great 

in their situations. He can play practically 

any style. He’s an avid traveler 

and surfer. 

The 106 South Band can be best 

called a BAND of FRIENDS. Not 

only do they share their love of music, 

but they are truly friends. 

You can find them on Facebook and in 

many venues along our beaches. 

LOCAL 

Lowdown 

By Steve Keller 

Here we are in May, hopefully 

sprouting flowers or however the 

cliche goes. One thing is for sure, we 

are headed straight towards a great 

summer of music, both for original and 

cover bands, in Brevard County. Join 

me, won’t you, as we bring light to 

those who travel, set up, rock out, tear 

down and leave us wanting for more. 

Here we go... 

Was great to see The Easy Uzis back 

onstage after an almost year absence. 

A packed crowd made them feel welcome 

as they performed a few new 

tunes along with their crowd favorites. 

Lead singer Tony Soland said that it 

was the best show the band has done. 

Hopefully we’ll see them again soon, 

have some recorded music released to 

tide us over in between shows. 

Another welcome return to the scene 

is guitarist Dakota Conklin. He’s 

been MIA for a little while but back 

in a heavy way with the band Forfeiture. 

Led by Fields of Saturn/Ektogasm 

guitarist Casey Gardner, the 

band is rounded out by Jason Mitchell 

on vocals, Zak Kalemba on bass and 

Austin Wood on drums. Gardner describes 

their sound as “We’re trying 

to create some heavy music that’s a bit 

more original than your typical versechorus-verse 

sort of thing, weaving 

in all of our influences. Dakota and I 

started working on the band in March 

2022, and we recorded our first single 

in March 2023. We’re just waiting to 

get the mix back from Killian Studios 

(Matt Goings) in Daytona. At press 

time Forfeiture has a couple of shows 

under their belt. Looking forward to 

see where the new band goes from 

here. 

If the last name Conklin sounds familiar 

it’s because Dakota’s older sister, 

Anja Conklin has been tearing it 

up in the local music scene for years. 

First with Anja 

& The Dreamers, 

then Greenlight. 

I was happy to 

hear that she was 

back in the studio 

in-between 

numerous local 

gigs each month. 

“This year I’ve 

actually been 

refocusing on 

working on and 

recording originals,” 

she tells 

us. “I’m almost done recording my 

newest original called ‘Dirty Cracked 

Mirror.’ She has decided to do it alone 

as a solo act for now. It’s amazing to 

follow her career this long; from seeing 

the Dreamers evolve into a touring 

band out West, to now recording simply 

for herself. I wish her nothing but 

the best and invite all who read this to 

check Anja Conklin out live and when 

‘Dirty Cracked Mirror’ gets released 

this month. 

I don’t get out and about that often, but 

was pleasantly surprised to catch a set 

from musician Kimberly House. Her 

stripped-down renditions of popular 

songs on acoustic or useless were a 

welcomed change to the standard band 

arrangement. Very down to earth personality 

both with the crowd and talking 

to her after her set. She promised to 

work up a set of original songs in time 

for the Space Coast Music Festival this 

winter so I’m going to hold her to that! 

In the meantime, check her out online 

to find out where she is playing next. 

If original music is more your cup 

of tea, look no further than the great 




Brevard Live 

LOCAL LOWDOWN 

continued 

band called Mean Violets. I’ve written 

about them before and they keep getting 

better and better. They have a new 

album called ‘We Mean Well’ released 

last month. Great to see them following 

their dreams and having fun onstage 

doing it. Their music fits in with 

just about any genre so you should find 

them playing a show near you. 

Looking for something, maybe dare 

I say...interactive? The Space Coast 

Drum Collective might just be for 

you. For years musician Anthony Darmana 

(Brevard Busking Coalition, 

Honey Miller) has been leading drum 

circles all over the county. This looks 

to be a little more often and organized. 

Not necessarily your typical band at a 

venue type gig, it may even be possible 

to hold an event yourself! Find Anthony 

and tap into your inner drummer. 

It’s good for the soul (I should know!) 

With my schedule I’ll listen to local 

music more online than in person. 

Sometimes I stumble upon friends who 

I haven’t seen in a while and had no 

idea that they were performing again. 

Ian Soden and his lovely partner 

Jordy Farrell caught my eye and ear. 

Ian is not only a kick ass artist but is 

also a great musician. Together their 

harmonies are amazing. Check out 

some videos on Jordy’s Instagram and 

track them down at a gig. 

That’ll bout do it for this month’s column. 

So much great talent here as the 

temperatures rise and we head into 

summer. A quick congratulations to my 

kid Sage Keller as they graduate from 

Mel High. Class of 2023! I’m so excited 

to see what this crazy world has for 

you and your dreams. As always, feel 

free to drop me a line at keller5@hotmail.com 

with well wishes, sheepish 

fishes or anything else you can think 

of. Talk more soon. 

Saturday, May 6 

Eau Gallie Bandshell 

Punk In The Park 

It is that time of the year again as 

518 Underground skate shop celebrates 

its Second anniversary with a 

free concert dubbed Punk In The Park. 

It happens Saturday, May 6th in the 

Eau Gallie Bandshell and surrounding 

areas. Vendors, food trucks and beer, 

a professional skate ramp and raffles 

will take place noon until 10pm. Proceeds 

will benefit the non-profit charity 

Harbor City Local. 

This year’s concert will be headlined 

by National Recording Artist 

Gel. Currently touring in support of 

their debut album ‘Only Constant,’ 

which the NJ based band released earlier 

this year. Gel has been hailed by 

NME magazine as ‘shaping the sound 

of Hard-Core Punk In 2023’. 

Joining Gel are punk legends 

Down By Law (photo). The Southern 

California band members Dave Smalley 

(All) and Sam Williams performed 

in downtown Melbourne as part of Oktoberfest. 

“That was such a cool experience,” 

he tells Brevard Live. “It was 

a duo storytellers’ kind of thing that 

Dave and I did. We met so many cool 

people and we hope to do it again.” 

Other out of town bands performing 

include Intoxicated, Heaven’s 

Gate, The Shakers, Face First, and the 

Caustic Bats along with a rare performance 

from Orlando’s The Green 

Goblyn Project. Jacksonville’s Flag 

On Fire also joins Brevard bands 

Wolfy Lonesome and Trans Flag. 

Sunday, May 21 

Earl’s Hideaway, Sebastian 

Chris Duarte 

o classify Chris Duarte simply as 

Ta Blues Man is an understatement. 

In his own words, “rockin’ blues” 

or ”punk blues” describes him best. 

Chris Duarte is a road warrior playing 

more than 150 dates a year. As well, 

Chris has headlined major festivals 

and clubs throughout the US, Canada 

and Europe. 

Chris is a savant, a sorcerer of 

tone, a master at channeling the spirits 

and sounds of great musicians of 

our past, while remaining completely 

recognizable in his own sound. He 

has shared his stage with many of the 

greatest musicians of our time. 

Chris Duarte’s music is ever changing. 

In many interviews, he has said “Music 

must evolve.” His own early offerings 

often become magical journeys 

into changing tempo and jazzy interludes 

before returning to their core. 

With such a vast catalog of recordings, 

there are no two shows alike. Every 

set list is different, and each song may 

be offered distinctly, based on the feel 

of a show and the audience. For those 

reasons, loyal fans often return to a 

Chris Duarte show again and again. 

The Chris Duarte Group emerged 

on the scene out of Austin, Texas in 

the early 90’s and gained notoriety after 

wowing a packed room of industry 

insiders at the South X Southwest 

convention. In the wake of Stevie Ray 

Vaughan’s passing, Duarte quickly 

gained a National reputation as young 

man imbued with a playing style comparable 

at times to the late guitarist. 



Brevard Live 

Flori-duh 

By Charles Knight 

Like many of you, as a young man I 

had a yearning to see more of the 

world, for me that began with the small 

step of moving to a different area of 

Florida following my father’s passing. 

My brother Jack Jr. had moved to Melbourne 

(actually Eau Gallie as it hadn’t 

yet been annexed into Melbourne). He 

and his wife at the time had bought a 

bar on Harbour City Blvd. also known 

as US 1. They named the bar The Two 

Knights. It was a good sized country 

roadhouse that was not unlike many 

bars here, it was pretty common for a 

bar to be either country, rock, or Disco 

in the area back then, and there were a 

lot of bars. But I digress. If you have 

been reading these articles for the last 

few years, you may remember that 

my brother was the guy that built my 

family’s bar, The Gator Hook Lodge 

in the Everglades in the late 50s. That 

changed in the 70s after selling it, Jack 

moved here yet never lost his love of 

Florida’s different types of wilderness. 

After I relocated to Brevard in 

seventy seven I began working as 

a bartender and manager in various 

clubs and restaurants as well as singing 

in bands. I also spent a lot of time 

with Jack. He never failed to amaze me 

with his knowledge of Florida’s flora 

and fauna while taking me with him to 

different areas throughout the county 

and beyond to show me various places 

as yet undeveloped where we could 

roam and hike while observing local 

wildlife. One of the many places 

he took me was a few miles north of 

the Pineda causeway where there were 

few signs of civilization in what is now 

known as Suntree and Viera. I vividly 

recall a certain area while pushing 

through some heavy underbrush and 

thick growth where we finally came 

to a clearing of sorts, and there it was, 

a small rustic stone bridge crossing a 

fast moving freshwater stream. It was 

gorgeous, almost like something out of 

Thomas Kincade painting. For those 

of you that aren’t familiar with the artist, 

I recommend you look him up. 

There were signs of a wide path 

that had obviously been unused for 

some length of time. I asked Jack what 

it was and he told me about old cattle 

trails that were used to drive Cracker 

cows from North Florida to parts south 

to feed the folks in army forts like 

Lauderdale, and settlements Miami. I 

never researched his story but found it 

interesting and romantically alluring. 

One afternoon we spotted a red fox 

and an Osprey, a couple of Hawks and 

a Bald Eagle, various smaller and colorful 

birds as well as some field mice 

and a couple non venemous snakes. As 

always in the sandy areas of our beautiful 

state there were Gopher tortoises 

and their burrows adjacent to the roots 

of Brazilian pepper tree, the noxious 

invaders. He showed me elephant ear 

plants with leaves sometimes three feet 

across and four to five feet in length, 

so large were the leaves that one could 

take shelter from one of our afternoon 

rainstorms under one. They are one of 

my favorite subtropical plants but be 

aware, they are toxic and can harm and 

possibly even kill you if ingested. The 

Australian Pinetrees were also non 

indigenous, but I have an affinity for 

them because there are very few things 

as soothing and peaceful as lying on a 

bed of pine needles in the shade while 

listening to the breeze whistle through 

the branches. 

On some other afternoons Jack 

showed me edges of the Indian River 

Lagoon where the water was still pristeen 

and one could see the bottom in 

some places, we would use dip nets and 

tie bits of chicken meat to strings and 

cast them into the water. Fresh Blue 

crabs would latch onto the chicken and 

we would gently pull them almost to 

the surface and dip them up with the 

nets. When we had enough, we would 

build a small fire and fill a pot with the 

cool salt river water, build a small fire, 

and set it to boil. Once the water was 

ready we could throw some crabs in 

and in no time at all we would be eating 

a fresh seafood lunch. Let me tell 

you, there is NOTHING as delicious 

as fresh fish and crab right out of the 

water! These days I won’t eat anything 

out of that river unless it’s caught near 

an inlet that allows clean salt water to 

pass into the lagoon. 

These days homes and businesses 

crowd the places. Run off from septic 

tanks, pesticides, and other poisons 

have nearly killed the lagoon, hotels 

and condominiums crowd the shores of 

the river and beaches. What were once 

gravel and dusty paths with character 

are now polluted faceless four lane 

roads traversed by automobles filled 

with angry frustrated drivers in a hurry. 

My home in South Florida is not 

what it was 50 years ago and neither 

is Brevard. We should all spend more 

time in nature and let our planet teach 

us real values. The value of a clean river, 

a healthy landscape, a breath of air 

that isn’t choked with the stench of automobile 

exhaust, the sound of gentle 

breeze whispering a peaceful calming 

song to the ears and heart while resting 

in a shady spot. These are all a part of 

my Flori-Duh and if you have experienced 

them yourself , consider yourself 

blessed because you were. If you 

haven’t, find a place go there, spend 

some time maybe daydreaming about 

something pleasent. Leave nothing behind 

but your footrints in the sand. 



Rigg’s Outpost 

FISHING REPORT 

MAY FORECAST 

By Captain Pompano Rich 

C 

elebrate May in Brevard ! Vacation on peaceful, historic 

beaches. Put your feet on our sand. It’s not like 

anywhere you’ve been before. Our barrier island is pristine 

and in many places untouched by civilization. 

Fish the beaches early for pompano, bluefish and 

snook. Pompano are the headliner and for decades have 

been the attraction in Brevard. The finest eating fish right 

off the beach! Sand fleas, shrimp and Fishgum are necessary 

to catch these migratories before they reach their 

summer homes in N.Carolina. Captain Matt Burr at Rigg’s 

Outpost will hook you up with the pompano rigs and current 

baits to catch these guys. Matt is a beach charter guide 

and is the most successful shoreline guide I know. Grab a 

card and enjoy and learn the true spirit of surf fishing. 

Offshore currents and waters will bring in the Sargasso. 

Mats of fresh seaweed that provide forage for mahi and 

tripletail. Two fabulous gourmet Florida residents. Trolling 

ballyhoo along the floating islands of Sargasso will 

bring the mahi screaming out to smash baits. And once 

they do more will follow. Once they surround the boat the 

mate will keep them chummed up. You will be dazzled by 

their colors . Casting chunks into these schools are a blast. 

All will pursue the chunk and one will inhale it. You’ll 

never know which one till he hooks up and immediately 

explodes out of the water for successive jumps to follow. 

Under those mats are a brown seemingly lifeless brown 

something. These are tripletail. They are completely camo 

as if part of the matting. Presented with a live shrimp or 

small crab they will charge the bait. Ranging from 5 to 20 

pounds bar none no better eating fish out there.

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