Smirk Birthday Party and Group Photo

This Thursday, April 1st at 5 P.M. join with well-wishers from near and far, past and present, to wish Green Parrot Icon "Smirk" a happy and healthy 35th Birthday.

They grow up so fast.

Yes it's been thirty five years since since that enigmatic countenance, that sphinxlike kisser, appeared on the plywood shutter on the Southard Street facade of The Green Parrot.

Facing the barroom when the Parrot is open and facing the street when we are closed, Smirk, has, as we say, "Seen it All".

Inspired by an image from a National Geographic magazine, in the then-owners' effort to dress the place up, Smirk leapt from the pallete of artist and former Green Parrot bartender Saul Paul Stewart in 1975 when amazingly, the only other things resembling art that adorned the Parrot's walls was a rather grisly knock-off of the famous Karsh Hemingway portrait, also by Stewart, and an equally disturbing snow shovel with a few bullet holes in it.

To celebrate the occasion a long-awaited new edition of the Smirk T-shirt will be for sale along with Smirk Masks for what promises to be a most unusual, if not bizarre, group photo.

The Green Parrot is your Southernmost Center for Culture of All Kinds on the corner
of Franklin and Einstein. For more information call
294-6133.

New Scooter-rental business?

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Actually, some plumber in England was getting tired of people trying to cut him off.

From Mail Online,

"It is the ultimate road rage revenge vehicle - a scooter that fires 12ft flames.

Colin Furze rigged his 60mph bike with a rear-facing flamethrower because he was fed up with drivers cutting him up.

It works by pressing a button on the handlebar.

'It's a lot of fun and firing the flames makes me feel like James Bond,' said the plumber, 30, from Stamford in Lincolnshire."

Frenchy would have looked cool pulling away from The Parrot on one of these.

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R.I.P. Duke Randall

I got word of Duke's passing through a phone message at the bar yesterday. I passed the news on to Captain Conch who sent me a photo and a brief, but near-perfect eulogy, Thanks, Bruce


Duke Randall, one of the island characters from the pirate days of Key West is dead. Later on he moved to the woods in Big Pine Key. This picture of Duke is from about 1978. He looks a little high. He was named after John Wayne, "The Duke". Duke was a great guy and had more stories than Aesop. After leaving the Keys he lived in South Carolina and was Fat Frankie's all-purpose man at Frankie's titty bar just outside the Charleston Navy base gate. I wish I could tell all the Duke stories, but I don't know if any one could handle it.

~Captain Conch

See The Lower Keys on Your Hands and Knees (kinda)

News of the bizarre brings us to an official Romanian government crossing sign:

:


From Jonathan Turley's blog:

Romanian officials have posted signs to deal with a growing problem: cars running over drunks.

Mayor Petru Antal explained that “we have to target the drivers because by the time the pedestrians get into this state they are beyond caring.”

It could also be a tourist attraction. Like watching the swallows of Capistrano, you can sit and watch the crossing of the drunks of Romania.

Quick, someone get on the horn and call the Key West Public Works department. I smell a design contest coming on!

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Today's The Day

In just about one hour, Bobalu's will open up shop at their second location, right next door to the Parrot and we can't tell you how thrilled we are to have these guys right next door.New Haven-style pizza, subs and salads, all this and great neighbors to boot.
Here's their new shirt, front and back...
Thanks for the props...
And pictured below is a vintage Green Parrot shirt from Doug's private collection

I remember this one, it's from the mid to late seventies and it just might be the oldest Parrot shirt around

Damon Fowler 5:30 and 10 PM Today

Guitar Phenom Damon Fowler Brings Stinging Slide Guitar to Parrot Stage


Playing a hybrid of roots rock, blues, and sacred steel, young guitar
phenom Damon Fowler brings his stinging slide from Tampa, Florida to
The Green Parrot stage with shows at 5:30 and 10:00 P.M. on Saturday, March 6th.

Influenced by a broad range of artists,with incredible guitar work and
vocal ability, Fowler delivers a heavy helping of swamp rock and slide
guitar blues.

A winner In last year's "Best of Tampa" poll, Creative Loafing magazine named
him "Best Guitarist... And Slide Guitarist... and Lap Steel Player...
And Dobro Player."
Fowler's guitar work has been compared to Johnny Winter and Jeff
Beck, while his slide guitar has a hint of the late Duane Allman. He
can play fiery guitar runs with the best of them, but it's his lyrical
work on lap steel and Dobro that makes him stand out among a legion of
guitar players.
See what all the excitement's about this weekend at The Green Parrot
Bar, your Southernmost Center for Culture, is at the corner of
Whitehead and Southard Streets.
For additional information call The Green Parrot at 294-6133.