THE YARD DOGS

Artist Information

Biography

Celebrating their 10th year together in November of 2011, The Yard Dogs are one of Florida's hottest bands, performing original uplifting and entertaining music which blends Zydeco, blues, blue grass, Cajun, country, folk and rock which they call "Florida Swamp Music". The Yard Dogs unique sound is due to the mixture of three eclectic musical instruments and musicians. Charlie Kuchler on accordion and keyboards is a lifelong musician and has performed with C.J. Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco and Jimmy Buffett. He has performed at such venues as the House of Blues, Milwaukee's Summerfest and Ohio's famous Put-In-Bay. He has shared the stage with U-2, Cheap Trick, REO Speedwagon and others. Along with being an accomplished musician Charlie has also been a booking agent, national talent buyer and promoter. Kip Lawrence performs on a guit-jo which is 6 string banjo with incredible percussive qualities. In 1999 he recorded a solo CD "Alone With A Song" and toured the East coast after receiving radio air play. He also founded The SW Florida Blues Fest, Creative Coast Concerts and The SW Florida Songwriters Fest. It's hard to believe a graduate from West Point would end up playing a bass instrument called a Rhumba Box, harmonica and a scrub board for a living, but that's just what Brian Travis did. Brian has developed as a musician by accompanying fellow performers on stage at gigs and open jams. He was soon in a duo that played weekly at the musical Mecca known as Bert's Bar in Matlacha, Florida. That's where he met Charlie and Kip at an open stage jam session. As the 3 played together they developed a huge following and are drawing large crowds across the country. The Yard Dogs live show is upbeat, entertaining and fun. Charlie and Kip dance through the crowd, via wireless microphones, exhorting the audience to a frenzy while Brian holds down the bass and occasionally steps out front with his blues harp and scrub board. You never have a dull show with the Yard Dogs. Just ask one of their many fans. The Yard Dogs have played many of the top venues in Florida including Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa and The Green Parrot and Schooner's Wharf in Key West. The Yard Dogs frequently tour the Mid-west with stops in Milwaukee, Indiana, Madison, The Wisconsin Dells, Lake Of The Ozarks, New York, Indiana, Iowa and many other northern states. They are enjoyed by thousands at many festivals like Waterfest, EAA Air Show, Wisconsin State Fair, The Cajun/Zydeco Festval in Deerfield Beach, The Watertown Riverfest in Watertown, Wisconsin, The SW Florida Music Festival and The Cajun-Fest in North Fort Myers, to name a few. Since their beginning in Matlacha, Fl, they have released 10 cd's of original "Florida Swamp Music" along with an entertaining Christmas CD. Come on out and see them sometime when you want to laugh, cry, dance and celebrate life.

THE YARD DOGS HAVE PERFORMED AT THE FOLLOWING FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS:

FLORIDA-CAJUN ZYDECO FESTIVAL—DEERFIELD BEACH, FL
GUMBO FEST—FORT MYERS, FL.
WISCONSIN STATE FAIR--WEST ALLIS, WI
COCONUT FEST--CAPE CORAL, FL
LEHIGH SPRING FEST—LEHIGH ACRES, FL
PUNTA GORDA BLOCK PARTY—PUNTA GORDA, FL
OKTOBERFEST SUNCOAST—SARASOTA, FL
WATERTOWN RIVERFEST—WATERTOWN, WI
CAPTIVA YACHT CLUB—CAPTIVA, FL
THE SANCTUARY GOLF AND TENNIS CLUB—SANIBEL, FL
RHYTHM AND BLUES FESTIVAL—FT. MYERS, FL
BASTILLE DAYS---MILWAUKEE, WI
BONITA SPRINGS BLUES FESTIVAL---BONITA SPRINGS, FL
SWAMP CABBAGE FESTIVAL-LABELLE, FL

Instrumentation

Charlie Kuchler: Accordion, Keys and Vocals
Kip Lawrence: Guit-jo(6 string banjo) and Vocals
Brian Travis: Jamaican Rhumba Box, Harmonica and Vocals

Discography

Live at Bert's bar
Welcome to Paradise
Matlacha Reeboks
Are We In Canada Yet?
Living in Matlacha
Matlacha Moon
Christmas With The Yard Dogs
Live From The Florida Swamp, Vol. I
Live From The Florida Swamp, Vol. II
Sunny Days

Links

• Facebook
• The Yard Dogs

Audio

• Smile At Me
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• FLORIDA SWAMP
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• BACK TO THE BAYOU FINAL MIX FEB. 10
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• LONELY HOUSEWIFE FROM OHIO HOOKS A FISHERMAN
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• CAJUN BABE
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Video

The Cheese Head Heaven Polka.wmv

Photo Gallery

Press

• Here's What They're Saying About The Yard Dogs [+ Show ]
  

  “The Yard Dogs are the Cajun/Zydeco/Classic Rock/Blues Band that has taken Southwest Florida by stor...“The Yard Dogs are the Cajun/Zydeco/Classic Rock/Blues Band that has taken Southwest Florida by storm! They provide high-energy, upbeat-tempo numbers that will have your hands clappin’ and your toes tappin’ within seconds of hearing them start to play. Listening to the yard Dogs is habit forming. One song and you are ready to take off your shoes and jump on a table…”
  -Virtually Paradise (Florida information web site)
  
  
  “Parking places are scarce for a good reason outside Bert’s Bar in Matlacha on Wednesday nights. It’s Mardi Gras Night with The Yard Dogs a trio spicing their ’Florida Cajun’ sound with red-hot blues, classic rock and zydeco gumbo.”
  -Ft. Myers Beach-Beach Bulletin
  
  
  “three graying hedonists entertaining with fare like ‘Crawdaddy Bayou’ and ‘Ride the Donkey.’ Charlie Kuchler is the sparkplug, singing and playing squeezebox. Brian Travis brandishes a Jamaican rhumba box. Kip Lawrence sings as if he had a fish hook caught in his throat.”
  -Downbeat Magazine
  
  
  “The trio has an interesting mix of instruments,…guitjo (6 string banjo), accordion and rhumba box--a big box with rectangular pieces of metal the musician twangs with a gloved hand for a kind of bass sound.”
  -Ft. Myers News-Press
  
  
  "The Yard Dogs perform energetic 'Florida Swamp' music which is a kind of Cajun rock 'n' roll . "There isn’t anyone like them. They created their own style of play and write many of their own songs. It was born in the mangrove swamps of Matlacha.”
  -Charlotte County Sun-Herald
  

Setlist

The Yard Dogs play mostly originals with a few obscure covers thrown in. Covers include songs by Credence, Hank Williams, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Johnny Cash.
The Yard Dogs can play a full show of originals. Usually 3 hours
long.
A partial list of covers includes:
JAMBALAYA.............................................................................HANK WILLIAMS IKOIKO....................................................................................GREATFUL DEAD
NOT FADE AWAY.....................................................................BUDDY HOLLY
FOLSOM PRISON BLUES........................................................JOHNNY CASH
JOLE' BLON..............................................................................VARIOUS ARTISTS
MIDNIGHT SPECIAL................................................................BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO
JOSEPHINE.............................................................................QUEEN IDA
GOODNIGHT IRENE................................................................LEAD BELLY
WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN.................................LOUIE ARMSTRONG
SQUEEZE BOX........................................................................THE WHO
BAD MOON RISING.................................................................CREDENCE
TRAVELIN' BAND.....................................................................CREDENCE
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN?.....................................CREDENCE
DOWN ON THE CORNER.......................................................CREDENCE
OUT MY BACK DOOR.............................................................CREDENCE
LOUISIANA SATURDAY NIGHT.............................................NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND
DON'T BURY ME.....................................................................JOHN PRINE
OOH LA LA...............................................................................WAYNE TOUPS
POKE SALAD ANNIE...............................................................SLEEPY LA BEEF
GOOD HEARTEDWOMAN.......................................................WAYLON JENNINGS
NEW ORLEANS………………………………………………….. GARY U. S. BONDS
DOWN AT THE TwIST AND SHOUT………………………….. MARY CHAPIN CARENTER
WE AIN’T LEAVIN’ TILL WE’RE HEAVIN’……………………. .PORK & THE HAVANA DUCKS
SUN ARISE…………………………………………………………ALICE COOPER

Basic Requirements

Calendar