Singer, Songwriter John McDonald Brings Tropical Instrumentation, World Beat Rhythms To Space Coast Seafood & Music Festival
By Space Coast Daily // January 7, 2018
MUSIC ICON WILLIE NELSON HEADLINES HUGE EVENT
ABOVE VIDEO: Singer, songwriter John McDonald will feature his own feel-good, up-tempo musical cocktail of reggae, rock and world beat music at the 2018 Space Coast Seafood & Music Festival on Thursday, Feb. 15, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m.
BREVARD COUNTY • VIERA FLORIDA – Singer, songwriter John McDonald will perform his tropical instrumentation, world beat rhythms and lyrical themes during February’s Space Coast Seafood & Music Festival at Space Coast Daily Park in Viera.
McDonald will feature his own feel-good, up-tempo musical cocktail of reggae, rock and world beat music at the 2018 Space Coast Seafood & Music Festival on Thursday, Feb. 15, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m.
Long before he moved to the Space Coast from Pittsburgh, PA, the singer-songwriter was inspired by the Florida sunshine and the tropically inflected music of Bob Marley, Jimmy Buffett, Zac Brown and Kenny Chesney.
Along with headliners Willie Nelson, Don McLean and Bob Marley’s legendary band – The Wailers – McDonald will sing songs from his most recent CD “Right Place, Right Time,” including “Azaa Loo,” a West African title meaning “Celebration!”
Space Coast Seafood & Music Festival attendees will enjoy the tropical, world-beat influence on songs like Lose My Head Come to My Senses, I Keep My Feet Moving, Wet Weather, Let the Waters Flow, People Come Into Your Life and Azaa Loo, a spirited homage to the connective, unifying power of music. One media reviewer called the album “a tropical breeze with positive energy.”
McDonald has opened for diverse artists including America, The Beach Boys, Hall & Oates and Smokey Robinson.
Although his move to Brevard County represents a fresh reboot, McDonald, a Boston native, still loves to deliver a fun, high-energy performance of classic rock and beach favorites.
ABOUT THE SPACE COAST SEAFOOD & MUSIC FESTIVAL
The Space Coast Seafood and Music Festival will feature a large and diverse variety of seafood and other food choices for the public during the four-day festival, February 15-18 at Space Coast Daily Park in Viera.
Lobster, aka Maine’s red gold, is one of the gustatory stars of the Cocoa Beach Seafood and Music Fest, a weekend jammed with great music and fantastic food.
From 5 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 15 to the evening hours on Sunday, Feb. 18, Viera’s expansive and easy to get to Space Coast Daily Park will be the place for grazing on seafood and listening to top musical entertainers perform live on the Space Coast Daily Stage.
“King Lobstah” will be joined by shrimp, clams, oysters and other princes of the deep during this seafood extravaganza. For seafood lovers and music lovers, this will be a weekend to remember.
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“We will have a terrific amount and variety of seafood on offer at the festival,” said Giles Malone, partner in Maverick Multimedia and Brevard Productions, publishers of Space Coast Daily and organizers of the festival.
“Top-class seafood vendors will join us from here at the beautiful beachfront Alan Shepard Park and from all across the USA to satisfy every appetite. We thought of the landlubbers, too, and we’re also offering lots of great BBQ and other food choices.”
Seafood vendors have been selected for the variety of dishes they bring to the festival table. Familiar faces on the Brevard restaurant scene will also be dishing out their specialties.
Felice Firestone of Golden gate foods is organizing the plethora of seafood vendors traveling to Brevard. For the Space Coast Seafood & Music Festival, Firestone plans to feature a large variety for festival goers.
High-quality vendors will serve shrimp cocktails, prepared with fresh, still warm shrimp with lots of spices, cocktail sauce and drawn butter.
Additional menu items, among others, include fish tacos and smoked whiting with drawn butter.
If all the mention of drawn butter brings images of high cholesterol, not to worry, for Firestone will also have non-seafood, healthy offerings such as broccoli salad and kale salad.
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Willy T’s Crab Shack, home of Maryland-style crab cakes will offer their legendary authentic Maryland-style crab cake sandwich, Willy T’s chefs start with generous portions of lump blue crab meat, to which is added the company’s “World Famous Secret Family Recipe” spices before being deep-fried to perfection.
The sandwiches are served on artisanal buttery brioche buns with lettuce and tomato on the side.
Willy T’s also features mini versions of the crab cakes and spicy shrimp sandwiches, as well as crab salad and shrimp and clam baskets.
Fans of the television hit “Shark Tank” may remember Portland, Maine cousins Jim Tselikis and Sabin Lomax, who wowed the “sharks” with their proposal for expansion of their Cousins Maine Lobster food trucks.
ABOVE VIDEO: Cousins Maine Lobster has been featured at the Seafood and Music Festival.
Orlando resident Kevin Anderson saw the show and was so impressed by what the Cousins offered, he bought into their franchise.
“They grew up in the lobster business and know what they’re talking about,” said Anderson. “Their recipes are so good, they couldn’t keep up with the demand.”
Related Story:REPLAY: Bob Marley’s Band ‘The Wailers’ Perform at Space Coast Seafood & Music Festival
Anderson brings his Cousins Maine Lobster food truck to the Festivals to satisfy lobster cravings. Expect lobster rolls, lobster tacos, lobster quesadillas, Maine lobster tail, lobster bisque and lobster tots.
“This is authentic Maine lobster, shipped in several times a week,” said Anderson.
Does Anderson ever get tired of eating the leggy crustaceans? “I never get tired of our lobster,” he said.
Golden Gate Seafoods, mainstays at outdoor events around the country, will present 150 feet of seafood delights, including crawfish, crab legs, alligator, calamari, lobster mac and cheese and seafood boil, and that’s just for starters.
From Jacksonville straight to the Seafood Fest arrives What’s the Catch, a super-cool retro Airstream brimming with Florida Keys attitude…and seafood.
Catch both amazingly tasty options such as Key Est Grilled Grouper and pan-seared ahi tuna as well as some delicious deep-fried dishes such as the Blue Lava Shrimp Taco and island-style shrimp entrees.
These are just for starters, folks. There’s plenty of more seafood to discover by the Exploration Tower.
Because man lives by more than seafood alone, the festival features an international beer and wine pavilion, an arts and crafts show, a children’s activity zone and special events such as the Pirates’ Parade and Party, when several Pirate Krewes, including the Brethren of the Space Coast Pirates’ Krewe, strut their stuff.
Pirate sword fighting demos, roaming pirate troubadours, pirate belly dancers and even a pirate balloon artist make for “aargh-mazing” entertainment. The legendary Panama Pearl and Rosalie The Red will organize a wide variety of pirating activity during all four days.
After the parade, the pirates will party hearty, with samplings from Code Rum, the festival’s official rum.
The festival also features a carnival with rides and games, cooking demos, magic shows and much more.
SPACE COAST SEAFOOD & MUSIC FESTIVAL MUSICAL LINE UP & SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, FEB. 15, OPENING NIGHT CELEBRATION:
• Thursday, Feb. 15: The Space Coast Symphony Under The Stars at 7:30 p.m. is free with festival admission.
• Friday, Feb. 16: Don McLean, 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 17: Willie Nelson, plus special guests Los Lonely Boys
• Sunday, Feb. 18: The Wailers, 3 p.m.
Tickets on sale NOW at all TICKETMASTER locations and all Walgreens stores.
The 2018 Space Coast Seafood & Music Festival at Space Coast Daily Park in Viera, is sponsored by Viera Hospital, Space Coast Daily, Florida’s Space Coast, News 6, Miller Lite and Savings Safari.
For more information, or if you would like to register for the Arts & Crafts Show, call 1-855-386-3836 or e-mail Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com
CLICK HERE FOR SEAFOOD VENDOR APPLICATION
CLICK HERE FOR ARTS & CRAFTS APPLICATION
CLICK HERE FOR MARKETPLACE APPLICATION
SPACE COAST DAILY PARK – THE VENUE: The beautiful 30-acre park was named after Space Coast Daily – Brevard’s most popular free news source. Space Coast Daily Park is ideally located in the middle of Brevard County, just off Interstate 95, for easy access from all areas of central Florida. Please do not bring the following items to the event: No food or beverages, coolers, chairs, alcohol of any kind, weapons, umbrellas may be brought into the event. Enter Space Coast Daily Park from Stadium Parkway. Parking is $5 and VIP parking is $10.
NOTE: There are no refunds, exchanges or rain checks for any reason. Gate admission does not include seafood, food or beverages. Children under 10 are free. Bags will be checked for inappropriate items. Please be courteous and avoid bringing prohibited items.
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