My day started with more Bros Landreth and then a few minutes of Slaid Cleaves. Slaid is played frequently on wmnf but doesn’t get to FL much. I saw him once years ago on a tuesday night at skippers. very thin crowd but he is entertaining and a fabulous storyteller. Nice voice and also easy on the eyes. I had to leave Slaid’s show because I had my second bonus ticketed show. I can explain the bonus shows later because I have to tell you about John Fullbright…. this was my fourth big moment on the boat. (First, Sean. Second, Foy. Third, Langhorne)

I’ve been listening to John Fullbright for two years. I have both CDs. Grant Peeples told me about him two years ago and I bought the first one. Then I read about his second release so I bought it since I enjoyed the first so much. The CDs are primarily him, his piano, his voice, his lyrics. The show included a FULL BAND with everything. John is amazingly talented. If he comes to your city, go see him. He is the real deal. During the show Steve Earle came out and they did Woody Guthrie’s song Deportee. Very moving. I went to this show alone and as I was leaving I saw Ralph (bass player for paul thorn). He had been in the theatre and felt the same thing as me. John gave me goosebumps, made me laugh, and made me cry. It was what I call a shelley church moment.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deportee_(Plane_Wreck_at_Los_Gatos)

From there I didn’t care if I saw another band all day. JUST KIDDING! I’m sure Ralph and I probably went to the buffet and then a few of us went to the second Angeleena show previously mentioned. After a couple of songs a few in my group left.

Then I had some conflicts. Jim Lauderdale, Chris Stapleton, and Langhorne Slim all slightly overlapped in showtimes. I started at Jim and then went to LS. There were so few people at LS. I stayed for the entire show and then quickly went to the CS show and caught his very.last.song. Seriously I saw him do one song! But it was fabulous. Chris (and his wife) are both very popular songwriters in Nashville. (do i sound like a broken record yet? remember this is a singer/songwriter cruise…) Chris was also the frontman in the Steeldrivers band. He broke from that band and released his record last year which went to the top of the country charts. Cayamo was lucky to book him last year as a songwriter (along with his wife) and to have him on the boat with everyone loving him. He won a grammy this year as did the Steeldrivers. Check them out if you don’t know that band. They are excellent.

After that one song I went straight to the pool deck to see Lucinda Williams’ band Buick 6. They open for her and then back her when she plays. This was another show I was really looking forward to all day and I was not disappointed. Good rock and roll. Lucinda took the stage and captured the crowd. Many people may not like her voice, or the fact that she can’t remember her own lyrics, or whatever…. but, if you listen to her words, read her stories…. I need to stop.

Then…it was the Grateful Dead Tribute which was OK. I was never a huge GD fan but do like their music. It was fun seeing the artists on the boat switch out and play their favorite GD tunes. Some sort of Bowie tribute would have been nice but I digress. I guess there wasn’t enough time to pull it off.

I’m sure after this i (we) walked the boat, visited with friends – old and new – in the casino, cafe, buffet, pool deck. I was the oldest one in the room and was also the last one in the cabin 🙂 Those young girls just couldn’t hang most nights. They were tired.

Day 2 started with a lot of socializing in the cafe with friends. Then we were off to the first bonus show with Foy, Angeleena, and Paul. We were in the third row or so and Barbara and her friend sat behind us. Sam and his wife Cindy were nearby as were Sean and Tracy. Many of the people around us had not seen or heard of these three. Some knew paul but not foy, etc. Foy blew them all away. I wish they could have played another hour or two but there were other performers waiting for the stage. Unfortunately this show was a total contrast with Mingo Fishtrap’s first show on the boat. Not one of us Mngo fans left the Unlikely Trio show! Mingo would have to wait.

From the unlikely trio I (probably ran to the cafe again but I can’t remember) went to see JohnnySwim in the Spinnaker. I spent a lot of time in the Spinnaker. I really liked JS. I didn’t get the chance to see them in Tampa before the boat and regret not going. I also didn’t get to see them again ON the boat but was happy I caught the first show.

After JS I went to the pool deck to catch a little of Sugar and the Hi-Lows. I was not familiar with them but enjoyed their show and the weather was beautiful. Their guitar player IMHO wins the award for the coolest guitar on the boat. I learned later in the week (at the buddy and jim show) that the two leads in this band have written many songs that are used in the TV show Nashville. They also have other hit songs and are popular songwriters in the city of Nashville. Buddy Miller promotes them and they were guests on the Buddy and Jim show that was recorded Saturday. Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale have a SIrius Radio show and they have this tradition of recording a session on the boat and then it plays the next week on the digital radio.

I’m rambling and need to move on.

Back to the Spinnaker for Shawn Mullins. I always enjoy Shawn. I don’t get to see him off the boat because it seems like his shows are in venues far away and the tickets seem very expensive. He’s worth it, I just never go! Bad Shelley.

After Shawn I’m sure there was a feeding and then I went to the pool deck to catch a little of Kacey Musgraves (and her electric cowboys). I really liked Kacey’s first record a couple of years ago and the second one is good too. The electric cowboys and other stage stuff might get old after a while but I thought it was cool seeing them in the dark, under the stars, with warm air, on the calm seas.

Then LANGHORNE SLIM! He has been a favorite of mine since I saw him open for the avett brothers a few years ago. For that first time, it was just him and a bass player on stage. Then I saw him two more times in Tampa with a full band and was even more fascinated. On the boat, it was just him and his guitar. I was enthralled. Liz and I sat in the front row. Barbara was behind us with her friend. I cannot even describe LS. You have to see him live and listen to his stories and watch him twitch, shake his head, and shout ‘can i get a hell yeah’ … then… you too will fall for LS. Check out the Stetson special Langhorne Slim hat and story. I REALLY covet that hat and should just buy it but some people have told me it is too big for my head. it is a hat for a man. whatever. Dear reader, if you look at the hat, actaully take the time to google and find it – let me know what you think. LS told me I would ROCK THAT HAT. His words. Of course he wants to sell a hat… but I believe him.

After Langhorne I cannot remember what I (we) did. We had a small group of 12 or so and sometimes we’d all go eat, go to a show, meet back later, etc. etc. We roam all over that boat and see what we can see, hear what we can hear, and always get ice cream or SOMETHING!