My first show was Friday evening on the Main Stage Amphitheatre. Joined by good friend (and Wooden Boat producer) David Kuncicky on violin, it was fun to stretch out a bit as I actually had more than the twenty-minute standard set. We were scheduled from 5:20 for thirty minutes, and got to play right up until 6 pm.

Saturday, I served as MC on the Azalea Garden Stage for three hours, then got to perform at perhaps my favorite venue in the world: The Boatlanding. If you've never been there, it is a large gazebo area on the banks of the Suwannee River. It's the heart and soul of Florida, and a true "unplugged" stage.

Each year, Ann & Frank Thomas host this site as a display of Florida Songwriters. Some festival attendants just spend the whole day there, and I've spent hours there myself. You can really hear a "who's who" of Florida music, and count on hearing something great from someone totally unknown.

I always team up with good friend Grant Livingston from Cocoanut Grove. I think we may be the only songwriters who combine our sets there. Several years ago, Frank heard us trading songs around the campfire at night, and decided we ought to do the same thing at The Boatlanding the next day. We were scheduled to perform in back-to-back slots, so Frank said "Y'all just get up and swap songs like you did last night." It really works out great. There is a lot of give and take, and neither one of us can really plan what we'll sing because we're always reacting from what the other plays. It's something I look forward to every year.

By the way, Grant has a great new CD and tape out titled "The One That Got Away." If you'd like some information about it, write him at: