Anyone who’s watched my podcast, Surviving Rocklahoma Live, knows how much I love live music. It is the pulse that keeps my heart pumping. For the better part of a decade, I’ve been podcasting as a hobby. As this show’s reach grows, we’ve been granted media access to one of Rocklahoma’s distant cousins, ROK Island.
I’ve known about Rok Island and its country sister Mile Zero for a couple of years. Being that they are on the other side of the country, I had always thought to myself, one day. Rok Island is a place where some of the greatest rock bands and names descend upon the island of Key West for a 5-day music festival amid the beaches of Florida’s southernmost island and the southernmost city in the United States. Using the Truman Waterfront Park Amphitheatre, which is designed to give an unparalleled view from its seating.
The festival will kick off with the likes of Jetboy, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Enuff Z’Nuff. The latter we saw this past year on the DEB Concerts’ stage in the Roadhouse at Rocklahoma 2022.
As the week rolls on, we’ll be seeing names that have appeared on just about every mix cassette tape collection made in the 80’s and early 90’s including 38 Special, Loverboy, Extreme, Tesla, Autograph, and due to a last minute substitution due to Vince Neil coming down with Covid Wed (Jan 12th) we will be getting Slaughter and Lynchmob
This cross-country trek will be a first for me. To be honest, I’ve only seen the Gulf of Mexico and it wasn’t during a pleasant time of the year for that region of the Gulf. With the festival rapidly approaching and me being, everything except, prepared, I’m doing my research and beginning to plan out the trip and get an idea of what I’m about to experience. This festival will be a huge opportunity for not only the podcast but myself and what this project can become. I’ll be joined by ROK(lahoma) alumn, “Rebel” Angel who will be returning as my photographer for this adventure. Together, we will be embarking on a cross-country road trip spanning 1,500 miles. This will definitely be a first for me. After being medically forced to retire one year ago, it’s time to get out and see the ocean for the first time. The support of all those who listen and/or watch Surviving Rocklahoma has afforded me the ability to do something that I’ve never thought I’d get to do. With media access and a trusted team member, I will be bringing sights from the trip along the way, and showing all our ROK family at home how they ROK town in the Keys.
We’ll have a long week ahead of us with the festival not being confined to the amphitheater, but with venues across the island creating a celebration of music’s biggest names and rocking out across five venues. It becomes a sort of “Island Crawl”. We will also be set up at one of those, Smokin’ Tuna where we will be rocking into the wee hours of the morning, and hopefully doing live feeds throughout. Let’s not forget nursing a hangover or two on the beaches, while hoping that’s a plastic bag next to my leg and not a jellyfish. Our favorite host, Eddie Trunk, will also be serving as host for this event as well which will just further build my anticipation for this year’s Rocklahoma 2023 which just announced renewals will be beginning January 10th. That means the next step will be a general sale along with that much-anticipated lineup. Fortunately, I have ROK Island to tide me over until Labor Day.
Now, being that this is a cross-country trip that carries costs. You’ll forgive me for fishing for donations. “Gas prices, am I right?” If you’d like to donate to the trip, I have several links below.
P.S. If you’re not down with the STYX, listen to these words of wisdom.
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