John Friday

If you have never seen John Friday then you will be in for a special treat, and a lot of fun!! He sings a good mix of his own songs, as well as songs from several other artists. . .and I can tell you that he has written some great songs! Some touching...some funny...all entertaining! - Naples PHC Newsletter

What do you get when you mix island sounds, country, rock & roll, reggae, folk, and a healthy dose of steel pan and pour it over ice served in a coconut shell?
Trop Rock, according to John Friday, is an eclectic mix of music, which has been described as Buffetesque. Trop Rock make you want to drink something clorful with an umbrella in it, sit on the beach with your feet in the warm sand, and just have a good time.
James White, a regular on Margaritaville Radio said: "Trop Rock is a rhythm, it's a sound, and it's bound to be fun."
And fun is just what John Friday aims for.
He first picked up a guitar at age 13 with the intention of impressing the ladies. Thirty years later, after a career in the Army, a fulfilling stint as a teacher at an alternative school and various other odd jobs, Friday is back with his guitar for gigs at the Twisted Conch and the Cape Coral Farmers Market
"I packed away my guitar when I went into the Army," Friday said. "I never thought the Army would be a career--I just needed a way to provide for my family. But I enlisted and then reinlisted, and then reinlisted again. I was in the Army for 13 years before I was medically discharged after breaking my back for the second time."
Friday moved to Cape Coral in May of 2008 and hasn't regretted a day. His fans are pretty excited that Friday has returned to music full time.
"I just love his sound. I don't know what it is called, but he is really good," said Jason Evans of Cape Coral. "John is one of my favorite parts of the Farmers Market. I really enjoy the atmosphere when he is here playing."
Friday plays a few covers, but he writes a lot of his own songs.
"Of course, my music is inspired by people like Jimmy Buffett, Bob Marley, The Eagles, Jim Morris and John Denver," friday said. "I want to play a lot of feel-good music. I want the people that are out in my audience to smile and dance when they hear me play. I want them to slip away into island time." - Ft Myers News-Press 03/13/2009

If you have never seen John Friday then you will be in for a special treat, and a lot of fun!! He sings a good mix of his own songs, as well as songs from several other artists. . .and I can tell you that he has written some great songs! Some touching...some funny...all entertaining! - Naples PHC Newsletter

Bright sun, flowing water and the music of John Friday merged to make a pleasant backdrop for the Community Business Expo at The Promenade at Bonita Bay Thursday afternoon.

Eighty-two local businesses bought table space, and many more area professionals showed up to mingle at this annual event sponsored by the Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce. Hundreds of people from the community also attended, gathering giveaways and learning about the products and services produced by businesses in the area.

“I came over because I wanted to see what’s available in Bonita Springs,” said Margie Jankiewicz, a snowbird from Buffalo, NY.

She sat at a vacant table eating homemade pico de gallo on tortilla chips from the Farmer Mike’s table while perusing through materials gathered from other businesses.

“I didn’t know there was another urgent care in Estero,” she mused.

It was the first year at the Business Expo for Farmer Mike’s U-Pick Farm, and owner Mike Clevenger was happy to see the big turnout.

“Anything to help the business,” he said.

Dr. John Hoglund, who owns a local audiology center, decided to provide free hearing screenings at the expo. With a quick probe of a microscopic camera, guests could see down their ear canals, from ear wax to ear drum.

Janet Sutoris convinced her husband, Andy, to give it a try: “I’m tired of yelling at him,” she said.

Deanne Czapla tried DeRomo’s Restaurant last week and wanted to return for lunch with her friend, Bonnie Murphy. They just happened upon the Business Expo.

“We’re taking advantage of the freebies,” Murphy said.

The friends also planned to go shopping to see what’s new at The Promenade. About 17 new businesses have opened there in the last year.

Assured Title is among them, opening a second location at The Promenade in November.

“We’re new to the area, and The Promenade is coming back, so this is a great way to get the word out to the community to let everyone know we’re here,” said Cheryl Hillyard, vice president of operations.

Trevor Brash, of Northwestern Mutual Life, didn’t have a table at the expo, but he showed up for some sunshine and networking.

“I’ve been in my office all morning, so it was time to get out and meet new people,” Brash said.

Susan Korecki, an Estero accountant, remembers The Promenade’s heyday before the opening of Coconut Point. She smiled at the vitality as she strolled around the shopping center during Thursday’s Expo.

“I think everybody is just happy to see The Promenade coming to life again,” she said. “It was depressing when everything shut down. I remember when it was booming. Now it’s coming alive again.” - Naples Daily News

The Daily News is launching its new "Sessions" music series, as part of our new In the 239 entertainment coverage. Every other Friday, we will feature live performances by some of the best local bands and musicians actively working in the 239.

Photojournalist David Albers and the Daily News visual staff have worked for months to assemble the studio and start filming local bands.

For more information, or to find out how to be part of this series, email 239@naplesnews.com

Sessions is a music series that features live performances by some of the best Southwest Florida bands and musicians actively working in the 239.

This week the Sessions team chatted with Bonita Springs-based songwriter John Friday. He also came by the Inthe239.com studio to perform "Coastal Dreamin'" and "Beachfront."

How do you describe your sound?

John Friday: Well, we call the genre trop rock. The easiest way to describe it is to think Jimmy Buffett, Zac Brown, Kenny Chesney, the islandy sort of sound. … My own writing tends to be all over the map. I have stuff that kind of goes into the Waylon Jennings, outlaw country sort of sound and then other stuff that's very steel drum, palm trees, margaritas on the beach kind of songs.

When did you decide to make music for a living?

Friday: I've been playing guitar since I was 13. When I was in high school I played in a few bands. I never really expected to make a career of it. … Back in 2008 I lost my teaching position due to budget cuts. And I talked it over with my girlfriend. We kind of said, let's give it a try. I said I'll do it for about a year and see how it goes.

Is it hard to do this full-time?

Friday: That's a very frustrating aspect of this job. The pay is sporadic. Its erratic. It's sometimes nonexistent and it's a constant effort to keep that cash flow going on.

What are some of your influences?

Friday: Jimmy Buffet is a big one. Jerry Jeff Walker. One of my earliest influences was John Denver. I was a huge fan of folk music when I was a kid. John Denver, Tom Paxton, John Prine. Those were the guys I was listing to all the time.

Do you have a favorite musical moment?

Friday: I was chosen as a finalist back in 2009 for the Landshark Lager battle of the bands. I was the only solo musician chosen for the finals. ... I went to Nashville, and I did a show in Nashville at the 12th & Porter theater. They said you probably might want to have a band with you. So I slapped together a band. One of the people who was in the band was a fellow named Doyle Grisham who was one of the premier pedal steel (guitar) players in Nashville and he's been playing pedal steel for Jimmy Buffet for about a quarter of a century. So Doyle came out and he sat in with me. … Out of 400 plus bands I came in fourth overall. I was pretty happy about that.

What are your thoughts on the local music scene?

Friday: There's a lot of griping going on. And there's a lot of griping that goes on about the local scene that's legitimate. But I also know musicians all over the country and they all deal with the same thing. So I hear the same issues. There's never enough places to play. There's never enough places that pay well. There's never enough respect from the venue owners to the musicians or from the musicians to other musicians. That I think is just something that's the nature of the business.

Is the scene growing?

Friday: I can't count the number of times when I first moved down here that people said there is nowhere to go to see live music. And then when you look around, there's all kinds of places to go see live music. It's really a matter of getting the word out. I think it will grow. I hope it will grow. But I'm an optimist by and large.

Do you travel much around the state?

Friday: I travel all over the country. I've done a couple of tours in the Midwest and Texas. I go up to the Northeast a lot. I go to New Orleans a couple times a year to play. I'm up in the Panhandle a lot, down to Key West. … I try to make it profitable. I do it more because I like being on the road. To me, its still a fairly new thing.

What do you want to accomplish as a professional musician?

Friday: I'm not worried about fame and fortune. I'm really too old for that anyway at this point. And I want to create the best music that I can. I want to create stuff that … my grandson, when he's in his 30s might pick up and listen to and say ‘Oh, granddad wasn't that bad.' If I can get to there, I'm happy.

Where can people find you?

Friday: You can go to my website, which is JohnFriday.com. I keep everything simple because otherwise I can't remember it myself. Also, if you go to reverbnation.com/johnfriday, between those two places you can get more information about me than anybody could possibly ever want to know. - Naples Daily News