Kelly McGuire’s brought his blend of tropical songs and storytelling to Kings Harbor last Friday night. The award-winning songwriter from Clear Lake entertained a large, enthusiastic crowd which enjoyed a warm, breezy evening at the free Keller Williams Summer Send Off Concert.
“Is it as beautiful as this all the time in Kingwood?” McGuire asked the crowd. “Now I know why all these Clear Lake people are moving up to Kingwood!”
McGuire, joined by guitarists Doug Deforest and Ken Reynolds, kicked off his performance with “Boat in Belize.” The title song from his third CD won Album of the Year at the 2008 Texas Music Awards. He followed that up with a rousing “Blame It On Buffett,” which also can be heard on Jimmy Buffett’s Radio Margaritaville on Sirius Satellite Radio.
Many of his songs had the theme of encouraging listeners to relax and enjoy life before it is too late. Two of those were “Redfish Island” and “Wasted on The Young.” He soon had the audience singing along two other songs about sailing: “Ambergris Caye” and “Major Doubts About Waterspouts.”
At the band’s break, Keller Williams Realty Northeast Senior Team Leader Lisa Dempsey welcomed the crowd, and then introduced Judy Cox from the guest charity FamilyTime Crisis and Counseling Center in Humble. The charity is the beneficiary of the Keller Williams Viva Las Vegas Gala on Sept. 25.
Cox said that FamilyTime operates the only shelter for victims of domestic violence in East Houston, East Montgomery County and Liberty County. Housing up to 40 women and children is “an expensive maneuver” costing $1,500 a day to operate, noted Cox. She encouraged everyone to attend the fundraising gala.
Dempsey then introduced a special guest artist: Mason Creager. The sixteen year old from Huffman is the nephew of country star Roger Creager and obviously has some of the same musical genes. Mason sang and played the guitar opening with “Crazy Town,” a song about Nashville. He closed with an original tune: “One More Time.”
When McGuire his band returned to the stage for the final set, they transported the crowd to the land of Jimmy Buffet with renditions of “Margaritaville,” “Volcano” and “Come Monday.” Members of the audience, with McGuire’s encouragement, got a conga line moving along the Harbor Plaza. McGuire wrapped up the concert with the song: “I Don’t Want to be Alone Tonight.”
The concert-goers agreed that listening to McGuire’s “island state of mind” was a great way to send off the summer of 2010.
