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Steve Arvey, Palladium Debut

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Music.

Steve Arvey is a household name in many parts of the country and overseas, as well.  Steve Arvey isn’t your everyday musician.  He’s a bit like an eccentric genius, and you can see the “smoke” coming out of his ears when he’s deep in thought.  He’s like the Albert Einstein of the music scene all over Florida, and  in his home town of Chicago, and Steve performs seven days a week, almost all the time.  His fingers are in an array of pies every day.  He’s a man with a big heart, and lends his talents to fundraising for so many causes.  When you need someone to really do the job, rally folks together, and raise money, Steve is incredible.

Savannah Brady….My First Assignment!

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Music.

When I was first approached about contributing some articles to The Sarasota Post about my experiences as a young musician in Sarasota I thought, cool!  Then, I quickly realized I would actually have to write which is not my idea of fun unless it’s song lyrics. After all, I do plenty of writing for school so I couldn’t think of any reason I would agree to waste my free time writing.   My mind was completely changed after watching Lauren Mitchell perform.

Kettle of Fish- “Nothin’ but Good Vibes”

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Music.

I hear I missed a magic moment at the Myakka Blues Festival.  Kettle of Fish were up on the stage and Dana Lawrence’s 5 year old daughter Cassidy strolled on up, reached for her father’s hand, kissed it and touched his hand to her face.  It brought the house down!  If you ever think rockers are any different than anyone else, you’re wrong.  They bleed, cry and play just like the rest of us.

On The Road with the Lauren Mitchell Band!

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Blog.

Lauren Mitchell sent this to the Sarasotapost.com  very late last night.  Thank you, Lauren and congratulations on a great tour. 

Hello from the road, Believers! I thought I’d take a minute to let you all know about some of our adventures while we’ve been on tour. North Carolina was a great start to the trip, jamming with Mel Melton at Papa Mojo’s Roadhouse, and singing with Mac Arnold and Plateful of Blues at the Blues, Brews and BBQ Festival were definitely some highlights for me.

Myakka Blues Fest- An Awesome Celebration

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Events.

A Great Day At The Myakka River!
Photos by Mark Kracker

To quote Steve Arvey-
“After it’s all said and done, it’s really about the beauty of the Myakka River….After everybody left, I sat and I finally got a second to kick back and thank God and all the people that were blessed to be a part of the celebration of this incredible river and how we all shared in friendship, life and music this day…..I sat for a long while and wished so many more people can see this fantastic river one day.  Thank you Snook Haven for believing in me and helping me and the Suncoast Blues Society to put this fest together.”

RJ Howson…An Old Soul in A Young Man’s Body

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Music.

RJ Howson…An Old Soul in A Young Man’s Body

Resonating, I am actually sitting here listening to RJ Howson sing and play guitar on “Make  A Fool of Me” (one of his original songs) recorded live at a legendary Blues club Chicago called Kingston Mines.  I’m channeling the vibe from yesterday when we sat down with our high test iced coffees and talked.  The problem for me was that this could have ended up being a 5 hour interview because RJ has the gift of gab and the experiences that make him an old soul.  I’m not sure if it’s because he might have been here before or if he’s just taken in so much more than the average person in deep thinking and life studying in his years.

Laurie Interviews the Songbird, the Lovely Rebecca Bird

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Music.

While hanging at the Jam each week at the Flying Dog Café, Sande Caplin and I did a number of interviews with various musicians and interesting characters that were regulars at the Dog.  One of my distinct favorites was my interview with Rebecca Bird, a.k.a The Songbird.  So as we were setting up the camera and the lights, I began to get to know Rebecca and I was taken with her soft personality, her Marilyn Monroe-type sex appeal and with her love of her Dad, whom she spoke about so passionately.  When people like Rebecca are up onstage you don’t really wonder about their backgrounds because you’re so caught up in the performance, but she did let go of some intimate details of her life.

Oh What A Night!

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Charities.

Ladies Sing the Blues at Primo Ristorante!

Magical, exhilarating, humbling…..these are just a few of the words that come to my mind after attending “Ladies Sing the Blues” last night at Primo Ristorante.  The singers and performers were a “who’s who” of lady blues singers in our area.  Karen Greenley, Lani “C,” Savannah Brady (14 & the newest lady!), Meredith Garofalo, Gwen Fogt, Christine Berstling, Rebecca Bird, Karyn Denham, Lauren Mitchell, Carolyn Davis, Melanie Massell, Kara Nally, Syl Vee, Sudie Brattli, K Sue, Professor Michael Hensley & Musical Director, Steve Arvey put on a show that won’t be forgotten!

Melanie Massell…..hot item!

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Music.

This little stick of dynamite, Melanie Massell, is so busy that I had to send her the questions for her interview and she just emailed them back.  I found her confidence and her knowing who she really is to be extremely refreshing and admirable.

1) How early in your life did you know you were struck by the music bug?
I must have been bitten by the music bug while still inside my Mama’s womb.  She would sing all day and night to me.  I paid attention.  I had front row seats!  In fact, her “concerts” were so pleasant from in there that it took 12 hours for me to “Brave” the world.  I wonder if that’s where I get the curly red hair from?

2)  Do you come from a musical family?
Again – I think only from my Mama.  My Dad, Sister and Brother are talented in so many ways, but singing isn’t their forte.  My Brother’s three kids are all talented with piano and guitar playing.  I’m waiting for them to get old enough to hire so I don’t break any child labor laws. 🙂

Tia Castle- So Much Talent and Motivation In One Beautiful Woman

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Blog.

updated 8/23/2013

I wasn’t at all prepared to meet Tia Castle and experience her as being humble, beautiful, intelligent and sensitive to the unfortunate people around the world who are homeless, but most of all, the horror of women and children being utilized for  human trafficking.  I was so taken by her sincerity.  She is a physically beautiful and intelligent woman with so much good experience and I know  Sarasota should keep their eyes on this rising star because Tia is going places.

Tia’s home town is Sarasota, so coming here to be the Associate Director of Marketing of the Sarasota Film Festival is both meaningful and a challenge.  It’s not an acting or singing role, but read on and you’ll see how multi-faceted Tia is.  Her Mother is here in Sarasota, and it was so tender to hear Tia say, “I love my mother so much, she’s my best friend.”  While growing up in Sarasota, Tia attended Sarasota Visual and Performing Arts High School, and also graduated Cum Laude from American University in Washington D.C. with a BA in Communications.

Steve Arvey…..Interview Facts!

Written by Sande Caplin on . Posted in Music.

Meet the Music Man, Steve Arvey……

Meeting Steve Arvey in Starbucks in the morning is an interesting experience.  He’s trying to crank himself awake with some high-test coffee and making jokes with a totally straight face.  My favorite one is “Well, that went over like a pork chop at a Bar Mitzvah”. He is an enigma in the Sarasota/Bradenton/Tampa music scene and is probably the only musician working 6 and 7 nights a week.  That’s why meeting him at 9 a.m. is a wondrous experience.

Having grown up in Chicago, Steve was exposed to blues and rock music, but didn’t pick up a guitar till he was 13, and it wasn’t a great relationship.  He put the guitar down and didn’t pick it back up till he was 16, and then was completely motivated to become a solid player.

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