Tom Curren at Rusty’s Seafood in Port Canaveral
Live concert at Rusty’s in Port Canaveral
- November 19, 2011
- 0 Comments
- By Story/Photos By Courtney and Surf Guru
On Wednesday, November 16, Brevard was treated to another fantastic live concert at Rusty’s in Port Canaveral, this time by surfing legend Tom Curren. The former 3-time World Surfing Champion is also a highly regarded musician and recording artist. Curren’s surfing history coupled with his mellow sound makes him especially marketable to the surfer crowd, such as the community here in Brevard county.
Indeed, in the weeks leading up to the concert, there was a general buzz about Tom coming to play. Have you heard Tom Curren is playing at Rusty’s? Are you going? It is so fun when our town gets excited about an event like this. And so it was a festive event with the usual suspects I know from around town: the twenty, thirty, and forty-something surf crowd as well as a good showing of the older surfing demographic, who remember Tom Curren’s domination in the ASP throughout the late ‘80s. It was clear the crowd was eager to be in the presence of a surfing legend and musical master.
The show started with the beautiful melodic stylings of Cocoa Beach’s Josh Miller Band. I loved how the band sounded and looked on the illuminated stage on Rusty’s brand-new outdoor deck. It’s a huge open deck with room for several tables in front of the stage as well as room for standers to “mill around” near the bar at the back. Many people also stood to the side of the stage at the deck railing, which created a nice place to put appetizers and drinks as you enjoyed the show. Mother nature cooperated nicely, blessing us with 70-degree temperatures, clear skies and low wind: perfect for an outdoor show.
The mood was low-key, especially due to the fact that the audience close to the stage was having a sit-down affair at the tables. The slightly rowdier crowd stuck close to the bar (no surprise there), which created a nice dynamic.
At the end of his set, Josh Miller introduced Tom Curren, who took the stage in his characteristic “man-of-few-words” way. Curren is famously reclusive, but he’s willing to break his shell enough to share his music in a charismatic way with his fans. What he may lack in over-the-top stage presence, he makes up for in his expert guitar playing, soulful vocals, and unique style.
Curren’s sound was that of bluesy, mellow rock. At times I was reminded of Eddie Vedder. Perhaps not what you normally think of when you think of “surf music,” but that is what I loved about Curren’s style. He’s definitely different, but I could easily picture myself getting a good ride on a solid head-high right as his tunes played in my head. Different is good. Different music inspires us to new ways of doing things—whether in the ocean or on solid land.
The ambiance of the show was boosted by the fact that Rick Super of Cocoa Beach docked his sailboat just outside Rusty’s deck so that Curren’s surf videos could be projected onto the sails. It really added to the whole surf vibe and uniqueness of the event. An innovative idea that the crowd absolutely loved!
I always look forward to these outdoor shows at Rusty’s, and I can’t wait for the next one! Always an amazing time with the good people of Brevard.
Thanks Courtney Dutson...
Rusty’s Seafood & Oyster Bar is located at 628 Glen Cheek Drive, Cape Canaveral, 321-783-2033,
www.rustysseafood.com. They are open 7 days a week; Sunday through Thursday from 11AM-10PM, Friday and Saturday from 9AM to 11PM.
