Kokomo Quest

I love The Beach Boys and I love to travel so this feels inevitable. This year I will attempt to complete the full Kokomo.*

As far as obnoxious travel plans go, this is pretty up there. It can mostly be explained by the fact that the “Cocktail” soundtrack was one of the few tapes** my family owned while living in Indonesia. If there were locations listed in “Don’t worry, be happy,” I would go there, too. 


Currently:

Aruba (2014), Jamaica (2014), oh I want to take ya
Bermuda (2013), Bahama (2001), come on pretty mama
Key Largo (today), 

Montego (2014), baby why don't we go, Jamaica
Off the Florida Keys (2019),

 there's a place called Kokomo (there isn’t really, it was a bar. But there is a city in Indiana)***
That's where you want to go to get away from it all

Bodies in the sand, tropical drink melting in your hand
We'll be falling in love to the rhythm of a steel drum band****
Down in Kokomo

Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take you to
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go
oh I want to take you down to Kokomo,

We'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow*****
That's where we want to go, way down in Kokomo

Martinique(2017), that Montserrat (pending thanksgiving 2019) mystique

We'll put out to sea and we'll perfect our chemistry******
And by and by we'll defy a little bit of gravity
Afternoon delight, cocktails and moonlit nights
That dreamy look in your eye, give me a tropical contact high
Way down in Kokomo

Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take you to
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go
oh I want to take you down to Kokomo, 

We'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow
That's where we want to go, way down in Kokomo

Port au Prince(2017), I want to catch a glimpse

Everybody knows a little place like Kokomo

 

Now if you want to go and get away from it all
Go down to Kokomo

Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take you to
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go
oh I want to take you down to Kokomo, 

We'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow
That's where we want to go, way down in Kokomo

Stay tuned for November 2019 when I attempt to stick the landing! -KT

*I will only explain this once because I like to pretend it’s an actual thing. I’m going to all the places listed in the song “Kokomo.”
**Yeah. I said “tape.”
***Robert and Andrew know to expect me.
****Easily the sexiest of all bands.
*****Island time.
******If past experience has taught me anything, I think going out to sea would be more of a chemistry test. See also: bicycles.

Kudzu Tours Florida

With slightly less fanfare than Cher's multiple farewell tours, Keltic Kudzu has just returned from its 2016 National Tour! That's right, folks, we went to Florida!!

This motley crew caravaned south and hit all the major hotspots, such as a roadside Cracker Barrel,*

a gig in Gainesville at the still-in-progress train museum,**

and landed in lovely Naples, Florida!!

It was a family reunion in many ways, including seeing Ptarcie***!! We celebrated by being the most overly enthusiastic people at a safari-themed putt-putt course. Our apologies to that one disgruntled engaged couple who were somehow forced to mini-golf against their will. 

We had two gigs in Naples. One at Tarpon Cove Community Center

and another at The Violin Shop. 

Both shows were a packed house and ready to party! We were joined by a local fiddler, Randee, on a few tunes. It was a treat to rehearse and perform with her and we hope to play with her again soon!

Beyond the gigs, we did manage to hit the beach and enjoy fireworks, rainbows, and sunsets for America's birthday!

Thank you, KK, for being the best, funnest, and friendliest band I've ever had the pleasure of playing with.****

New England, we'll see you in 2017!

-KT

*Though not immediately obvious in this photo, Tom was schooled in my second-favorite form of checkers. 

**Shout out to AT and UK for the hospitality, gig hosting, AND excellent freshly-caught salmon!

***2003 flashback:

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

****Also the only. I've peaked early.