Although the moose-kissing tradition at McGuire’s predates Rich’s arrival on scene, he is responsible for writing the accompanying, and now entrenched “Kiss the Moose” song.  He explains “When I began playing here, asking a first-time patron of McGuire’s to kiss the moose might be met with a bit of confusion and resistance.  The traditional aspect was lost on them.  I figured if there was a song to go along with it, it would give the tradition a bit more validity for first-time visitors to the pub.  And it has worked out pretty well.”  Now every act that performs at McGuire’s plays this song, and the moose-kissing tradition has expanded to include not only the moose but a couple other McGuire’s fixtures as well.

Rich is also known for pushing the bounds of the debauchery which is naturally a part of the McGuire’s slogan.  His “Dirty Limerick” song, played to the classic mariachi tune of “Cielito Lindo” contains rhymes that could even surprise a hip-hop fan.  Many of Rich’s regulars eagerly look forward to this point in the evening, awaiting their opportunity to share the stage with him and recite their own limerick, specially prepared just for this song.  The best and most classic limericks are written on a scroll and tucked away in the secret archives, only to be taken out upon the performance of this tune.

Even more entertaining, energetic, and amusing is Rich’s version of “Seven Drunken Nights,” with extended responses - a wee bit too naughty to be written down here.  This point of the night is when you are likely to see the most crowd participation.  This rendition of the classic Irish song is memorable, if not for the increasingly lengthy responses, but the reactions and looks on the faces of new comers to the McGuire’s scene.

Crowd interaction is a major part of Rich’s act.  You never know just where the night will lead or how ridiculous the antics are likely to become.

Rich’s set also contains a few American country, and acoustically played classic rock songs familiar to everyone.  As a classically trained guitarist, Rich McDuff’s musical talent becomes most apparent when he plays a traditional jig or reel or the occasional classical guitar piece. 

Rich’s revolving schedule alternates between the pubs in both Pensacola and Destin, Florida.  While he is away, his regulars in Pensacola always look forward to his return.  Some will even make the drive to Destin to see him when he is performing there.

You should come and see Rich McDuff at McGuire’s Irish Pub in Pensacola, and Destin.  It will be a night to remember.

For more information on Rich McDuff, and dates visit his website here.

I’ve always loved Irish folk music.  Amongst my favorite tunes has always been “Finnegan’s Wake.”  For those who have not yet viewed my links, you may not know that I am a musician myself who has performed as "Lojah." Here is a video of me performing "Finnegan’s Wake" at McGuire’s Irish Pub, in Pensacola, Florida with Larry Kernagis of Def Leprechaun.

You can checkout my website here!

Enjoy!

Larry Kernagis is distinguished as the Chief Leprechaun of the Nashville based Celtic band cleverly named Def Leprechaun.  With a full repertoire of classic Irish folk and drinking songs, Larry also tours as a solo act.  I was fortunate enough to meet Larry at McGuire’s Irish Pub in Pensacola, Florida this summer.

Read More at God Drinks Beer!

McGuire’s Irish Pub is a Pensacola landmark, rich in atmosphere and tradition.  Located in the Old Firehouse at 600 E. Gregory St. Pensacola, Florida, McGuire’s boasts; “Feasting, Imbibery, and Debauchery 7 nights a week.”  Themed as “a turn of the century New York Irish Saloon” McGuire’s features nightly performances of traditional Irish Music and sing-along.  Such artists of note include Rich McDuff, Dun Aengus, and Cahir O’Doherty playing a majority of classic and traditional Irish folk music.

Established by McGuire and Molly Martin in 1977, but only located at Gregory Street since 1982, this pub has a few traditions that have grown up with it.  The ceiling and the walls are covered with over 1 million one dollar bills, signed and donated by the pub’s patrons.  In the evening hours and later, as the debauchery gets-a-going new comers and those overcome with that Irish spirit may be called up to kiss the moose as the featured artist sings the traditional moose-kissing song.

As a restaurant McGuire’s serves lunch during the day and dinner until the wee hours of the morning and employs some of the hardest working wait staff in Pensacola.  Dining at McGuire’s is always satisfying, with large portions such as a nacho plate piled up the size of your head.  And the quality is top of the line. 

McGuire’s is a winner of numerous awards including Beef Backers “Best Steaks in Florida,” for their USDA Prime Beef steaks.  It is also an 11 time Golden Spoon Award Winner, and a Florida Trend Magazine Hall of Famer.  McGuire’s has also been featured on the Food Network’s Outrageous Foods during which the “Big Daddy Burger” made with bacon, cheddar cheese and jalapeno peppers was created.

McGuire’s is also celebrated for its selection of beers.  They proudly display a quote by Carrie Nation; “Life’s too short to drink cheap beer.”  McGuire’s operates an onsite brewery where are created a selection of quality ales and porter.  They include a light ale, Irish Red, Raspberry Wheat, Porter, Stout, and root beer.  They also brew and serve a rotating variety of seasonal ales.  Visitors may tour the McGuire’s Brewery and home brewers are offered a sample of McGuire’s own brewing yeast for use.

The bartenders are always friendly and offer quick service.  They pour 1½ oz shots and double shot martinis.  McGuire’s is the home of the aptly named Irish Wake, a green concoction served in a mason jar with a green and a red cherry, so potent that no more than three are allowed per customer per visit.  Amongst its many awards, McGuires with its 8,000 bottle wine cellar is also the winner or the 2009 WineSpectator Award of Excellence.

To new folks, the McGuire’s layout may cause some initial consternation.  Much like Dr. Who’s TARDIS, McGuire’s seems to be bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.  Like Disney World, much of McGuire’s is virtually unseen from above ground, with 400 seats throughout several different themed rooms.  Then there are the bones of Bridget McGuire ...

McGuire’s is a regular stop for many celebrities and politicians who live in or pass through Pensacola, including 2008 Presidential candidate John McCain.  This is a fantastic pub in which to be a visitor or a regular.  With good food, good drink, and great atmosphere, you won’t be disappointed.  Just be sure to pay close attention to the restroom signs when ye stop by.

Visit McGuire’s website here.

Delia Stone is one of Pensacola, Florida's top jewelry artists.  Winner of multiple awards and published six times in the national jewelry maker’s magazine Step by Step Wire, Delia’s techniques are adapted from the styles developed in ancient Egypt, Phoenicia, and Peru.  Delia explains that contrary to popular misconception, wire work is indeed an art.  It has just been a lost art for thousands of years and is finally re-emerging to take its place amongst the world’s aesthetics once again.

Along with the ancient and timeless techniques of history’s greatest civilizations, Delia’s signature Victorian era Needle-lace work, which she helped popularize amongst today’s jewelry artists, is characteristic of her great attention to detail.  Her Green Corn stitch, inspired by her experiences in a traditional Muskogee Creek Stomp Dance society is especially popular amongst Native American style artists.  Delia likes to work with precious and semi-precious stones; labradorite, ammonite fossils and carved bone.  He work is bound exclusively with precious metals by cold-connection techniques, without glue or solder.  These diverse influences and natural flowing techniques give Delia Stone’s work a timeless character that is both classical and modern.

A lover of nature, Delia first began making wire jewelry in 1991 by wrapping polished stones for friends and family.  Initially she made her pieces to give away as gifts as she developed her unique style.  Knowledge of her work grew and Delia subsequently began receiving orders from people eager to commission and purchase her work.  Being self-taught, Delia had to seek out and conceptually deconstruct the many styles and techniques she has since made a natural part of her art.  As her talents developed she quickly began receiving requests for hands on jewelry lessons which inspired a line of Delia Stone original tutorials and a series of formal classes.  

Delia looks forward to teaching others what she struggled on her own to learn, giving her students something she never had; a professional foundation and instruction on basic to advanced techniques, encouraging the continuance of her craft for the future.  She has taught wire-wrap jewelry classes all over the Southeast, and currently resides in Pensacola, Florida where she offers group classes and individual instruction by appointment.  Delia firmly believes that to become a professional artist, one only need take their work seriously and understand the value of bringing a vision to life.

Awards:  Current as of November 2010
Troyfest 2004 – Merit Award
Troyfest 2005 – Merit Award
Greater Gulf Coast Arts Festival Heritage Arts  2008 – Award of Excellence
Festival on the Green 2010 – Third Place
Troyfest 2010 – Seven Purchase Awards
Williams Stations Day 2010 – Merit Award and two Purchase Awards

Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival Heritage Arts 2010 – Award of Excellence

Publications:  Current as of November 2010
Step by Step Wire Magazine 2005 – Wire Works Gallery Pages
Step by Step Wire Magazine 2007 – Wire Works Gallery Pages
Step by Step Wire Jewelry 2008 (Summer Issue) – Featured Tutorial: Needlelace Caged Pendant
Step by Step Wire Jewelry 2010 (Spring Issue) – Wire Works Gallery Pages
Step by Step Wire Jewelry 2010 (Summer Issue)- Wire Works Gallery Pages

Step by Step Wire Jewelry’s special issue: Best of Wire 2010 Featured Tutorial:  Needlelace Caged Pendant

Visit Delia Stone's Website at DeliaStone.com

Originally posted at GodDrinksBeer

The first time I met the Irish music duo Dun Aengus was at McGuire’s Irish Pub in Pensacola, Florida in March 2010.  It was the last night of the Renaissance Faire and a handful of us met up at the pub for a drink.

They were a great band that night, playing a lot of the classic Irish drinking songs I’ve grown to love.  I would have gone up to the pub to see them again but they were on tour and leaving for south Florida the next day.

I caught up with them again this past St. Patrick’s Day, once again at McGuire’s.  They were rocking the house with popular Irish and Scottish tunes and a few popular American classics for good measure.  Just like last year, Dun Aengus had the crowd enraptured, gathered on the floor in front of the stage dancing with wild abandon to these classic sing-alongs.  The Irish was certainly high that night (read more at GodDrinksBeer)

Shadowyze (pronounced shadow-wise) is a Native American hip hop artist who comes from a background of Muskogee Creek and Scots-Irish heritage.  He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from the University of West Florida and his lyrics are woven within a fabric of insight and social awareness.

Shadowyze was born in San Antonio, Texas as Alvin Shawn Enfinger and relocated with his family to Pensacola, Fla. at the age of eight.  In 1989, Shadowyze launched his hip-hop career when his group, Posse In Effect, released the official theme song “Knock ‘em out the Ring Roy” recorded for then Olympic boxing Silver Medalist Roy Jones Jr. which received strong support on regional radio as well as NBC Sportsworld.

The big turning point in his career came after Shadowyze spent ten weeks in Central and South America and Mexico in 1998 where he witnessed the cruelty of the “low intensity war,” military oppression and poverty imposed upon the Mayan Indian population in Chiapas, Mexico which inspired his 1999 multi-single Murder in Our Backyard which was endorsed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Betty Williams of Ireland.

Shadowyze has appeared on over a 20 compilations and released three full length albums; Spirit Warrior (2001), World of Illusions (2003), and his current 2005 release; the self-titled Shadowyze featuring platinum recording Latino artist Baby Bash, and the production wizardry of Nashville’s DJ Dev of Devastating Music; production engineer of the triple platinum selling album 400 degrees by Juvenile and Happy Perez (producer of Baby Bash’s platinum hit Suga Suga, as well as Frankie J., Mystikal).  In 2006 Shadowyze, DJ Dev and Lojah teamed up to produce the multi-single “Powda & Flow” on Backbone Records.

Shadowyze has supported the Mayan Indian Relief Fund and in 2005 attracted national attention by helping to organize and coordinate a Hurricane Katrina relief effort delivering several thousands of dollars worth of supplies to the Choctaw Indian Reservation in Philadelphia, Mississippi.

In 2005 Shadowyze won both the Native American Music Awards and the Pensacola, Florida Music Awards for best hip-hop and has been the focus of several stories appearing in Rolling Stone, Vibe, XXL, Billboard, New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. Shadowyze was featured on the covers of Downlow Magazine, Native Network and Get’em Magazine.

Through Backbone, Records; Shadowyze released Guerillas in the Mixx, a compilation in cooperation with Big Lo featuring Public Enemy, The Coup, Michael Franti, Spearhead, Afrika and Litefoot. 

Shadowyze has spoken on Native American issues and performed his music on many Indian reservations, the Montrose Jazz Fest in Switzerland and the National Autry Center in Los Angeles.  His most recent release in 2009 on Backbone Records  is titled after the Mayan prophecy “2012.”

--

Shadowyze Profile
Shadowyze on myspace

The Handlebar is a hub of the Pensacola  music scene.  Located at 319 N. Tarragona St. the Handlebar has had a reputation for being a heavy metal and punk rock hangout.  Due to the implications in the name, it has often been mistaken for a biker bar.  The truth is that the Handlebar is a melting pot of styles and genre, with musical features which naturally include heavy metal and punk rock, but pop, folk and even country as well.

Ever since it first opened the Handlebar has provided a stage for local and touring bands to perform and promote themselves.  Some of the better known acts that have performed at the Handlebar include Run DMC, Black Flag and TSoL.

The Handlebar serves beer and wine in a single community room with plenty of open space providing a clear view of the stage.  It’s a simple brick and mortar design splashed with black graffiti, decorated with vintage photos hanging crookedly on the walls.  At the north end of the bar, opposite the stage sits a piano I’ve never seen played ornamented with a Pet Rose Plaque and a skull in voodoo fashion, capped with a bud light sign. 

There is a single billiard table and jukebox that plays when there are no bands onstage.  Typical selections include anything from the Dead Kennedy’s or Led Zeppelin to Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley.  

The back courtyard of the Handlebar makes for great escape sometimes from the volume and activity inside.  With two tables outside, patrons of the handlebar can enjoy their drinks, company and the fresh air of the mild Pensacola climate.

The Handlebar is a required stop in Pensacola if you enjoy the atmosphere and music of an underground music scene.  It has been an active part of the Pensacola music scene for so long that anybody playing original music locally inevitably plays many shows at the Handlebar.  It’s been one of my regular hangouts for years.

If you want to know more about the Handlebar, check out their webpage here 

.

Sluggos bar and restaurant located at 101 S. Jefferson St., in downtown Pensacola is an enigmatic club that has provided its eccentric crowd with a gathering place to revel in their eclectic musical tastes since St. Patrick’s Day 1990.  Over the years, Sluggos has operated in numerous Pensacola buildings, undergoing significant transformations while still remaining true to the Pensacola underground music scene.

The Sluggos kitchen offers vegetarian cuisine at reasonable prices and has been featured on VEGCOOKING.com.  Their most popular entrées include the Tai Chili Bowl and the Pecan Dust Sietan.  They have a full bar, a reading room and a stage for performing acts.

Many touring musical acts count Sluggos as a regular stop on tour to and from cities such as New Orleans, Atlanta, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Gainesville and Orlando. Over the years, many popular acts have performed here including Everclear, Sugartooth, Run DMC, Digital Underground, the Reverend Horton Heat, and Shadowyze.

Sluggos also offers a stage for local and developing bands to cut their teeth and attract a crowd, playing original music.  On most weekends and often during the week, there are opportunities for local artists to open shows for larger touring acts.  Presently all of Sluggos’ shows are open to all-ages.

Over the past twenty years Sluggos has reinvented itself a number of times.  Terry Johnson, the owner explained her vision of the ever transforming Sluggos.  “Sluggos has to evolve in tune with her environment.  Stagnation equals death.  We shouldn’t separate the arts, we should embrace them all and provide an atmosphere where everyone can express ourselves and share our ideas.  If we limit our options just to what how we started, Sluggos would be just another bar scene.”

Not just another bar-scene; the Sluggos scene is diverse in tastes and styles.  Tending toward modern, progressive and punk rock, Sluggos has also hosted hip-hop open mic nights, several charitable events and other forms of cultural expositions.

Visit Sluggos online here.

The City of Pensacola is a quirky, moderately sized metropolitan area in Escambia County on the Northwest Gulf Coast of Florida, situated on the bay which shares its name.  Pensacola is also known as the City of Five Flags, because the flags of five separate nations have flown over it; Spain, France, England, the United States, and the Confederate States.

Pensacola is known for its sugar white sandy beaches and the emerald green waters which surround them.  The summers are warm and sunny, and the winters are mild.

Although Pensacola is often treated as Florida’s secret, it bares a significant place within American history.  The indigenous inhabitants of the Northwest Florida territory were participants in the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex; part of the Mississippian mound building cultures.  The earliest records of this land were made by 16^th century Spanish explorers.  Tristan de Luna landed here in 1559, establishing a short-lived Spanish colony, making Pensacola the first European settlement in what is today’s continental United States.  De Luna established a port where Naval Air Station Pensacola is today.  A few months later this colony was devastated by a hurricane and abandoned.

By no later than 1677, the Pensacola tribe occupied the land.  In 1686 they were at war with the Mobile Indians.  Pensacola means “Hair People” in the Native language, closely related to Choctaw, in the Muskogean family.  In 1698 the Spanish established another colony here, making Pensacola an important port town and the primary exporter of hides during the deer skin trade.  Pensacola was finally acquired by the United States in 1821.

Today, Pensacola it is the home of the Center for Naval Aviation and the Center for Naval Cryptology.  It has produced many significant famous and infamous figures including Andrew Jackson.  More contemporary stars from Pensacola include Roy Jones, Emmitt Smith, Larry Butler and Shadowyze.  Former presidential candidate Senator John McCain attended NAS where he received flight training.

Pensacola inspires artists of various sorts.  It has a diverse culture, many festivals and cultural expositions.  Pensacola Sound will help to display some of these talents and activities, providing reviews and exposure.  Including the arts and entertainment, Pensacola Sound covers aspects of Northwest Florida area history and culture, to display Pensacola more fully.

Welcome to Pensacola Sound.  I hope you enjoy it and come back often.