The Ben and Kelli Show

We left you hanging in Fernandina Beach last episode, so this week we're finally wrapping up our 23-day road trip now that we're back in the Keys.

There was a whole lot of music to discover as we trucked south.

From packed honky-tonks in Savannah and the madness of Ocean City Rock & Ride to biker bars, beach towns, speakeasies, buskers, and a three-story bar in Charleston with two bands playing at the same damn time—we got a taste of just about everything on the way home.

Along the road we caught Colby Anderson Band, Cade Beecher Band, Tripwire, Surreal, Marty C Moore, Sai Collins, Suffering Moses, Banjo Ben, Cottonmouth, and plenty more—sometimes on festival stages, sometimes in packed bars, and sometimes just sitting on a suitcase picking a banjo on the street.

And somewhere along the way, one thing became even clearer to us: live music doesn't happen without the venues willing to keep putting musicians onstage—even when the crowds thin out and the season slows down. Those places are a huge part of why we do this show.

So pull up a barstool. We've got a few more stories from the road before we finally made it home.

🎙️ The Ben & Kelli Show
Presented by Honky Conch Music
Celebrating live music... and the places that keep it alive.

Episode 31 — A Few Nights in Fernandina Beach

The Ben & Kelli Show is on the road!

This week, we’re coming to you from the Forest River studio in Savannah, GA after spending a few nights exploring Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island—and this little beach town surprised the hell out of us.

We bounced around town checking out The Palace Saloon, The Principal’s Office, The Patio at 5th & Ash, Green Turtle Tavern, and Tigre Island Room, and everywhere we went, we seemed to find live music.

Along the way we caught Alan Price, Hupp & Ray, Monty Smith with Jeffrey Weathers, and Melissa Joiner backed by the Gilberto '77 Band—everything from laid-back acoustic sets and killer harmonica to a full band that had the whole room moving.

There were historic saloons, great drinks, a converted schoolhouse, an incredible new music room—and even a few cicadas trying their damnedest to sit in with the band!

What impressed us most was seeing so many places supporting live music in the middle of the week. That’s exactly what this show is about.

So pull up a barstool and come spend a few nights in Fernandina Beach with us.

🎙️ The Ben & Kelli Show
Presented by Honky Conch Music
Celebrating live music... and the places that keep it alive.

Episode 30 — Captain Tony’s Saloon featuring Wynn & Rome

This week, we’re back at one of Key West’s most legendary watering holes—Captain Tony’s Saloon—for a night with Wynn & Rome, joined by Drake Leonard on bass.

Wynn Taylor and Jerome Miller take familiar songs and make them unmistakably their own, mixing killer guitar work, cajon and snare percussion, harmonica, great vocals, and a groove that feels somewhere between a front porch jam and a southern rock bar band.

We talk about what makes their approach so much fun, why hearing the same song doesn’t mean hearing the same performance, and how the room, the crowd, and the venue can change what happens onstage from one night to the next.

And, of course, there’s Captain Tony’s—dollar bills, bras, pirate punch, questionable history, and all. Just another normal night in Key West.

Pull up a barstool and join us.

The Ben & Kelli Show, presented by Honky Conch Music—celebrating live music... and the places that keep it alive. 🎙️🎸🍻

This week, we're headed to one of Key West's most iconic waterfront hangouts—Schooner Wharf Bar—where live music, salty air, and island history all come together.

We spend the evening with the incredibly talented Kim Jade, whose soulful voice, funky grooves, and bass-player instincts create one of the smoothest solo performances we've experienced in the Keys. We also talk about why Schooner Wharf has remained a favorite of locals and visitors alike for decades, and why stages like this are so important to the heartbeat of live music.

We also take a moment to remember Caffeine Carl, a beloved Key West guitarist whose impact on the island's music community will be felt for generations.

Whether you're planning your first trip to Key West or you've been pulling up a barstool here for years, we hope this episode inspires you to get out, support a local venue, and experience live music wherever the road takes you.

The Ben & Kelli Show is presented by Honky Conch Music—celebrating live music... and the places that keep it alive. 🎙️🎸🍻

Double Shot Friday! Green Parrot & Bali Bar

A disco party from another galaxy. A hidden tiki bar tucked behind Duval. A '57 Chevy turned into a bar. And enough live music to remind us why we keep doing this.

This week on The Ben & Kelli Show, we're serving up another Double Shot Friday as we spend an evening wandering through Key West in search of great music, cold drinks, and the stories that make this island unforgettable.

First stop: the legendary Green Parrot, where Komorebi brought the house down with funky grooves, killer musicianship, and what they proudly call "the Funkiest disco party in the galaxy."

Then we slip through the palms behind the Car Bar to discover the laid-back vibe of Bali Bar, where Barrett Thomas delivered a soulful performance full of looping guitar, smooth vocals, and originals that left us wanting to hear even more.

Along the way we stumbled onto an incredible dinner at Fishwife, got caught in a Bahama Village rainstorm, and somehow managed to convince ourselves it all counted as "podcast research."

So grab your favorite drink, pull up a bar stool, and come spend another Friday night with us.

Real Music. Real Stories. Real Vibes.

A bearded Ohio songwriter with a smoker's rasp, a red guitar, and a bag full of riffs walked into a bar that used to be a morgue.

Sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it's actually this week's episode of The Ben & Kelli Show.

We're headed to Captain Tony's Saloon—part museum, part dive bar, part Key West legend—to check out Derek Dunbar and one of the most unique live music venues in the country. Between the hanging-tree stories, dollar bills stapled to the walls, famous bar stools, and Derek's high-energy performance, this one felt like a perfect snapshot of what makes Key West special.

Come along as we talk music, history, cold drinks, and the kinds of places that still have stories left in the walls.

Real Music. Real Stories. Real Vibes.

This week on The Ben & Kelli Show, we head to Mangrove Mama’s in Sugarloaf Key, Florida to catch live music from Haywire and soak in another unforgettable Keys music experience.

From the laid-back atmosphere and crowd energy to the live performance and stories behind the venue, we dive into what makes places like Mangrove Mama’s such a special part of the local music scene.

Great food. Cold drinks. Live music. Real vibes.

🎙️ Presented by Honky Conch Music

Real Music. Real Stories. Real Vibes.

This week on The Ben & Kelli Show, we headed over to KAYA Island Eats & The Backyard Bar for great food, cold drinks, island vibes, and live music from The Marshall Morlock Band.

From the stage setup and crowd energy to the atmosphere that makes places like this special, we dive into the experience behind the music — not just the performance itself.

If you love live music, authentic venues, and the stories that happen between the songs… this one’s for you.

🎙️ Presented by Honky Conch Music

Real Music. Real Stories. Real Vibes.

This week we we've got a double shot for you🍻

We kicked things off at one of the most legendary rooms in Key West…
👉 The Green Parrot with XPERiMENTO bringing that high-energy, genre-bending sound that only works in a place like that.

Then we flipped the script completely…
👉 over to Willy T’s with Nick Brownell, where the crowd’s loud, the drinks are cold, and anything can happen.

Two completely different vibes.
Same island. Same heartbeat.

If you think you’ve got Key West music figured out… this one might surprise you.

Real music. Real stories. Real Key West.

🎧 New episodes every Thursday
📍 Recorded in the Florida Keys

Geiger Key Marina & Fish Camp \

geigerkeymarina.com

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Mic Smith

@MicSmithMusictahoe

@micsmithmusic