Mariners Music Festival hits a perfect note
Saturday morning the Matlacha Mariners held their 15th annual music festival at the Pine Island KOA Campground. This is the first time in several years the Mariners held the event on the island. The event featured blues, rock, country and “Americana” music.
“This is a mixed genre event,” organizer Jerry Tolliver said. “We have all different kinds of music starting with Sean Chambers, who is a blues guitarist named by Britain’s Guitarist Magazine as one of the top 50 blues guitarists of the past century. His sound is a combination of blues/soul/country/rock that you can hear in the early Rolling Stones. Country/rock is represented with the Grayson Rogers Band, which has been getting some national attention lately. Stringtown brings American roots music with blues, country, gospel and jazz. Then we have Deb and the Dynamics, which is blues and R&B, and Brother Love Too. Strange Arrangement will start things off today to get the crowd energized. They’re always a fun band.
“The KOA Campground is where it all started for the Mariners,” Tolliver said. “When we moved the event off the island it was to raise more money for island charities. Although we did reach our financial goals, we wanted to bring it back. It’s a smaller venue but the setting and the size creates a more intimate experience with the musicians and the audience almost a backyard atmosphere.”
It was 12 years ago that the Mariners decided to create a music festival. They determined at that time that music education would be the main charity to benefit from the event. Today all island charities benefit to some degree but it’s still music education that is the central focus.
“I’ve been involved with the Mariners and organizing this music festival for the last 12 years,” Tolliver said. “I got involved because of what I was able to learn in the public schools. I wouldn’t have been able to learn the drums or been involved with any musical instrument if it wasn’t for the public schools being able to provide those instruments to me.”
The day was kicked off with the Color Guard marching onto the field and 14- year-old Faith Garn taking the stage to sing the national anthem.
“In addition to the music, we have plenty of cold beverages, food and all kinds of vendors booths for people to browse through,” Tolliver said. “We have Pine Island Resorts, Kettle Corn. Wounded Warrior Anglers is here selling raffle tickets, we’re are expecting Bert’s and Bubba’s any minute, Bob and Annies Boat Yard, Man Cave, Century 21 and a lot more. We have a beautiful day, lots of help from the Matlacha Hookers and I think the rain will hold off – people are having a great time and we’re just getting started.”
The Matlacha Mariners is a men’s community-oriented nonprofit organization which raises money at special events like this one to support local charities, scholarship fund and other needs of the greater Pine Island Community. Its main focus most recently has been to help elementary school students and specifically Pine Island Elementary music education students. The Mariners also help its sister organization, the Matlacha Hookers.