The Yard Dogs to reunite this Saturday at Bert’s Bar
This Saturday, Jan. 28, from 7-10 p.m., Bert’s Bar & Seafood Grill in Matlacha will host a reunion of the legendary local band, The Yard Dogs.
“The original band joined together November 2001,” “Yard Dog” Charlie Kuchler said. “The Yard Dogs were one of Florida’s hottest bands. We performed original music that blended Zydeco, blues, blue grass, Cajun, country, folk and rock. It’s what we’ve come to call Florida Swamp Music.”
Kuchler plays accordion and keyboards and is a lifelong musician.
He has performed with C.J. Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco and Jimmy Buffett. He has performed at such famous venues as the House of Blues, Milwaukee’s Summer-fest and Ohio’s famous Put-In-Bay.
Kuchler has also shared the stage with U-2, Cheap Trick, and REO Speedwagon.
Kip Lawrence performs on a guit-jo which is 6-string banjo with percussive qualities. In 1999 he recorded a solo CD “Alone With A Song” and toured the East coast after receiving radio air play.
He also founded The Southwest Florida Blues Fest, Creative Coast Concerts and The Southwest Florida Songwriters Fest.
“It’s hard to believe a graduate from West Point would end up playing a bass instrument called a Rhumba Box, harmonica and a scrub board, but that’s just what Brian Travis did,” Kuchler said. “Brian developed as a musician by accompanying fellow performers on stage at gigs and open jams. He was soon in a duo that played weekly at the musical mecca known as Bert’s Bar in Matlacha, Fla. That’s where we all met at an open stage jam session. We developed a huge following.”
The Yard Dogs have played many of the top venues in Florida including Skipper’s Smokehouse in Tampa and The Green Parrot and Schooner’s Wharf in Key West. Since their beginning in Matlacha, they have released 10 CDs of original “Florida Swamp Music.”
Bert’s Bar & Seafood Grill is at 4271 Pine Island Road in Matlacha. For information, call 239-282-3232 or visit www.BertsBar.com.