The 28th annual Key West Songwriters Festival presented by BMI took over the island for five days (5/01-5/05) as music enthusiasts traveled to see over 250 BMI multi-genre creators perform their favorite hits. The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association and Rams Head Presents provided an array of shows across 50 venues including open-air performances at waterfront resorts to intimate acoustic settings.
BMI songwriters arrived at BNA on Wednesday morning (5/01) where they were greeted at the “Lift Off to the Kickoff” event in Delta’s sky club, as Delta Air Lines is the official airline for the festival. The highly anticipated yearly event commenced with the official “Sunset Pier Kick Off Party” at the Ocean Key Resort & Spa hosted by Storme Warren, where Kristen McNamara, Heartwreckers and headliner Dylan Marlowe took the stage. Afterwards, fans were able to see songwriters like Jacob Hackworth, Jet Harvey, Jackson Nance, Tim Nichols and Shane Profitt at Conch Republic Seafood Company before heavy-hitters like Chuck Cannon, Jack Ingram, Bridgette Tatum, Tommy Sims and Jeffrey Steele took the stage at the Key West Theater. Attendees capped off the night at the Green Parrot for the “HD Radio Late Night Hang” featuring Robert Randolph, Guthrie Trapp and Dylan Altman.
Thursday (5/02), the takeover in the tropics continued at Rams Head Southernmost Bar & Restaurant where hourly rounds featured BMI songwriters such as Renee Blair, Ronnie Bowman, Dax, Jeff Garrison, Preston James and many more. The highly anticipated “Liz Rose & Friends” round returned to Blue Heaven as she treated the packed house to surprise performances by Cameron Bedell, Cassidy Daniels, Seth Ennis, and Joe Fox. Dante’s Key West Pool Bar & Restaurant offered hourly sets including a signature White Claw round featuring Bedell, Alee and Fancy Hagood. Later that night, a sold-out crowd packed in the Coffee Butler Amphitheater for Mackenzie Carpenter, Restless Road and headliner Cole Swindell.
The momentum continued into Friday (5/03) morning as the day kicked off with hourly rounds at the Beachside Resort & Residences Poolside, Hyatt Centric Key West Resort and the Southernmost Resort Pineapple Pool Party featuring songwriters like Ben Chapman, Lori McKenna, Brian McKenna, Chris McKenna, Meg McRee and Brad Rempel. Newcomer La Te Da Cabaret hosted intimate hourly rounds that evening with an array of acts including Laci Kaye Booth, Sheena Brook, Harper Grace and Sonia Leigh.
Saturday (5/04) morning fans were offered the opportunity to attend yoga with songwriter Emma Klein or a Bloody Mary Bash at Key West Theater with Robert Earl Keen. In its first year, the Key West Woman’s Club hosted hourly rounds at the Hellings Curry Museum with Rebecca Lynn Howard, Megan Linville, Twinnie and Emma Zinck. The Texas Heritage Songwriters Association and the Texas Music Office presented the Texas Showcase at the San Carlos Institute hosted by Jack Ingram and Liz Rose who were joined onstage by Aaron Barker, Garrett Bradford, Cassidy Daniels, Paul Jenkins, Morgan Lee Powers, Robynn Shayne, Russell Sutton and Scott Sean White. Fans flocked to Duval Street that night to catch Kaleb Sanders, Lily Rose and Dallas Davidson for the free street show.
Sunday (5/05) launched with the inaugural “Sunday Songs: Music & Mimosas” at Williams Hall where Chuck Cannon, Elisha Hoffman, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Tommy Sims and BMI’s Shannon Sanders performed renowned gospel songs. The night concluded with the “All Star Encore” at the Key West Theater featuring David Fanning, Earl Bud Lee, Danny Myrick, Taylor Phillips, Alana Springsteen, Shawna Thompson and more. Proceeds from the five-day event benefit the BMI Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 1985 that supports music education and creation through various grants and scholarships, along with Michelle’s Foundation, a Key West-based nonprofit that helps children and families in need. Additional beneficiary from the event includes CreatiVets which is a non-profit that teaches the United States Armed Forces veterans to use visual arts and music as a means of addressing their unseen wounds of war. The 28th Annual Key West Songwriters Festival was sponsored by Delta Air Lines, HD Radio, Texas Roadhouse, and White Claw.
