ole At the Heart of 15th Annual Key West Songwriters Festival Activities

For the fifth year, ole, along with sponsorship partner ASCAP, were at the heart of the celebrations as part of the 15th annual Key West Songwriters Festival, one of the biggest events of its kind in the world. Once again, it was a welcome opportunity for ole to support the Nashville songwriter community and to enable ole songwriters to be part of "A"-list collaborations in a conducive, creative environment. Among the ole-affiliated writers in attendance were Liz Rose, Chris Wallin, Marty Dodson, Tebey, Charlie Worsham, Steven Lee Olsen, Bruce Wallace and Roger Springer.

"It's a songwriter's paradise and we're thrilled to be there and part of it all," says Gilles Godard, ole's Chief Creative Officer. "You can't put a price on the amount of goodwill a festival like Key West can generate over time. It's all about getting great writers on a sunny island to perform their great songs and cultivate new collaborations!"

During the five days and nights (April 28-May1) of the festival, a number of songwriters took their leisure by competing for prizes as part of the popular ole and ASCAP-sponsored Songwriters Deep Sea Fishing Tournament.

"As usual our Deep Sea Fishing Tournament was a huge success, our writer's showcases received cheers and well-deserved applause and the icing on the cake was certainly our Late Night Hang, which once again was standing room only from midnight until 4:00 a.m., Thursday through Saturday," says Godard.

The ASCAP/ole Late Night Hang at the Bottle Cap Lounge over on Simonton Street was the place to be after hours during the festival with an open mic that was rarely "open." As local journalist Chris Rehm of Key West Music and Happenings points out, it was a magnet for so many of the songwriters and performers each night. "What a great event this was!" wrote Rehm. "So many folks got to play in an atmosphere of true friendship. This was FUN!!! It went on and on like this all night long. A truly fantastic time was had by all and an experience I'll never forget! I only live two blocks from The Bottle Cap Lounge, so heading home was easy to put off! However, I did so at 4:10 am and the place was still packed."

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