Hundreds turn out for Labor Day party
The parking lot was full and cars were parking on the street as several hundred fans gathered for Woody’s 5th annual Labor Day Party last Monday afternoon.
“I’m really happy with the turnout,” Yard Dog Charlie (Kuchler) said. “This is the fifth Labor Day party and every year it just keeps getting bigger and better.”
Kuchler, originally from Milwaukee, came to Florida 14 years ago.
“I’ve always been involved in the entertainment business,” he said. “I was working at a talent agency in Milwaukee and was looking for something different when a friend of mine from Madison purchased a marina in Fort Myers Beach. He asked if I would manage the marina and I accepted. That was in 2001 when my wife and I moved to southwest Florida. I worked there for three years.”
After leaving the marina, Kuchler decided to become a self-employed musician.
“I started playing in the Yard Dogs,” he said. “We had a lot of success. The Yard Dogs did 11 CDs in 10 years, played all over the country and were quite successful. One of our goals was to become a tourist destination, like people go to the beach and after some time we achieved that. That’s what made me think that maybe I could make a living doing this. Then the band broke up and I went solo.”
After taking the leap from a secure paycheck every week, Kuchler worked solo at a Pine Island restaurant/bar. Unfortunately the restaurant went out of business shortly thereafter.
“I was really worried and called up Eric at Woody’s,” he said. “He offered me Monday nights and I was only out of work for one week. We decided to call them ‘Mardi Gras Monday’s’ and I’ve been here ever since.”
The Labor Day party began sharply at 2 p.m. when Yard Dog Charlie took the stage with his unique style of music that combines Cajun, zydeco, folk, country, rock ‘n’ roll and lots of comedy. He calls it “Florida Swamp Music”
Kuchler is a lifelong musician and plays both keyboard and accordion. Back home he played in the popular Milwaukee-based band Hat Trick, performed with C.J. Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco and Jimmy Buffett. He has performed at the House of Blues and Milwaukee’s Summerfest. He has also shared the stage with U-2, Cheap Trick, REO Speedwagon and a host of others.
Yard Dog Charlie performs many of his own original songs along with some obscure but popular cover tunes. He uses backing tracks that he has recorded himself, so what you are hearing is him playing all the instruments. This gives him a “full” band sound.
“People think you have to go to New Orleans to hear this music,” Bonnie Silver said. “I live on the Cape but we manage to get here once a month to hear Charlie. His music just make me feel good and the fact that it’s Labor Day just makes the party bigger.”
“When I started here in Southwest Florida, everyone supported me,” Kuchler said. “I’ve played all over the country but Pine Island is my musical home.”
Yard Dog Charlie plays every Monday at Woody’s Waterside. “Mardi Gras Mondays” begins at 6 p.m.