Buzz On The Bay - Bash On The Bay

A long weekend on the water can either slip by fast or turn into a story you tell all year. We’re betting on the second one, and we’re laying out the plan for Bash on the Bay at Matanzas on the Bay near Fort Myers Beach, happening Labor Day weekend (Saturday through Monday, the 5th-7th). Think waterfront dining, cold drinks, big views, vendors, contests, and the kind of bayfront energy that makes you want to stay “just one more hour” until the music ends.

We also bring in special guest Ben Allen of the Ben Allen Band to unpack what a great live show actually takes. He talks about the band’s country and country rock mix, how they keep the dance floor moving, and why the perfect setlist is always changing. We get into the craft of pacing a night: running up-tempo for hours, then landing one slow song at the right moment so it hits you right in the feels. Along the way, we nod to other talent joining the weekend like Jackie Rohr, and we talk about why Southwest Florida crowds feel like home after playing stages around the country.

Beyond the music, Bash on the Bay brings a full boat show with multiple boat dealerships on site, giving you a chance to climb aboard, look around, and picture your next day on the water. If you’ve been searching for things to do in Fort Myers Beach for Labor Day, a family-friendly waterfront festival, or live music at Matanzas on the Bay, this is your shortcut to the details and the vibe. Subscribe for more bayfront stories, share this with your Labor Day crew, and leave a review with the one song you’d want to hear live.

Buzz On The Bay
414 Crescent Street Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931
(239) 463-3838
matanzasonthebay.com
Matanzas On The Bay
Matanzas Inn
Petey’s Upper Deck
@MatanzasInnResort

The Ben Allen Band
Ben Allen
info@benallenband.com
benallenband.com
@BenAllenBand

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Transcript

Welcome To Buzz On The Bay

Intro/Close 0:00

Welcome to Buzz on the Bay. Sponsored by Matanzas on the Bay. This is your tropical escape into all the fun, flavor, and waterfront energy happening in and around the bay near Fort Myers Beach. From island-inspired dining and cool drinks to boating, music, sunsets, and local happenings, we're bringing you the stories and experiences that make life on the water so special. So sit back, relax, and let's enjoy where the bay comes alive.

What Bash On The Bay Includes

"Cabo" Jim 0:25

Welcome to another episode of Buzz on the Bay. And uh today we're talking about an incredible weekend that Sean's got planned here with live music, food and drink. What else we got? Boats, we've got uh vendors, great views, lots of things going on, a lot of buzz going on. So, what's the buzz all about?

Speaker 1 0:44

So, this uh coming up Labor Day weekend, we have um called the Bash on the Bay. It's uh the fifth, sixth, and the seventh. That's a Saturday, Sunday, and a Monday. Um, we're hoping everybody can come and join us. We've got lots of food, contests, um, we've got some entertainment coming in. There's gonna be a boat show. We'll have three different boat dealerships here that will represent different um boats you can come and get on, take a look at, um, as well as uh some some live entertainment. Ah, what kind of live entertainment do we have?

Meet Ben Allen And Guests

Speaker 1 1:14

So we're uh lucky to have today Ben Allen of the Ben Allen band joining us. Um we'll also have um Jacquie Roar from Oregon joining us. Um we're pretty proud to have them come in. This is a four-chair turner on the voice. Yeah um so thank you for being with us today. Glad to be here.

"Cabo" Jim 1:30

Yeah, love it, love it, love it.

The Ben Allen Band Sound

"Cabo" Jim 1:32

So let's talk a little bit about you and the Ben Allen band and what can people expect when they come out for people that don't know about you?

Speaker 2 1:40

Uh Death Rock, right? No, metal. No, no, no. Um, we love to put on a great country music show, country rock, uh, a good mix of uh I mean Southwest Florida knows us pretty well. So they if they've seen us, they kind of know what time what is up with that. So um, but for other folks coming in, like um I'm hoping I'm envisioning lots of vacationers off uh coming from all over Fort Mars Beach. Um yeah, I was on the voice, and that's cool. But uh really the band is great. I've got amazing musicians on stage with me just tearing it up. So country, rock, mix, dancing all night, um, high energy. It's a lot of fun.

Building A Set That Hits

"Cabo" Jim 2:19

Favorite songs? I don't know. That's it's it's kind of hard, but it's a love-hate sometimes. The songs you love are different from the people the songs that they want to hear all the time, right?

Speaker 2 2:27

Yeah, yeah, exactly. Songs, uh it's a favorite song is always a moving target with me. It's it's usually whatever the next song that we pick up is always my favorite for uh for a little bit. It's new, right? It's whatever's new to me to play is the funnest thing to play. And then once and once we've got it like locked in and dialed in, then it's like owning the next song. So that one's checked off the list. But um we we'll do we can do um hours and hours of music that's just up tempo and then and then right at the right spot, you throw in something slow that's got that hits you right in the feels, you know, and uh you know it's a it makes for a good concert, it really does.

"Cabo" Jim 3:06

I'm on a child of the 80s. I mean, every every bar we went to always had a slow song. He had a slow song so you could dance with the date, right?

Speaker 2 3:13

And then you back in the partying, right? Yeah, you say I I envisioned the junior high dance where everybody's doing this.

"Cabo" Jim 3:21

Yeah you know.

Why Fort Myers Beach Feels Special

"Cabo" Jim 3:22

So you've performed on some pretty big stages. What does it feel like coming home technically, right? And playing a venue like Fort Myers Beach here.

Speaker 2 3:31

Uh I Southwest Florida is always my favorite place to play. Um, it's where we know the fan base the best. And we do travel around. I was I I just I just got back from a uh a show in Wisconsin, and I have to say, Southwest Florida, Fort Myers Beach, it's so beautiful here compared to everywhere else. I mean, nothing against other parts of the country.

"Cabo" Jim 3:51

Cows and dairy.

Speaker 2 3:53

I love that stuff. I love that stuff. But uh I just I told my wife on the phone while I was, I'm like, we are so spoilt to it being so beautiful. And uh Tanzas is a great example of that.

Speaker 1 4:05

As a manatee went by this morning when we're sitting here, yeah. Can't beat that. That's our cows. We got cows. I don't know, right?

Speaker 2 4:12

Right?

Speaker 1 4:13

And then you you've played Fort Myers years ago for Myers Beach. I think you were talking about that.

Speaker 2 4:17

Yeah, I've played on Fort Myers a number of times or Fort Myers Beach a number of times. Um going back to uh even before I had the band together doing uh like an acoustic thing, done that a few times. Um yeah.

Speaker 1 4:31

It's like a coming home party. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 4:33

It's it's I I love Fort Myers Beach.

Speaker 1 4:34

I mean, you how can you not have a good time here? Yeah, absolutely. And we plan on this event being a recurring event, so we're well hopefully we'll have you back as well, and it'll be a successful yeah, yeah, very

Keeping All Ages Engaged

Speaker 1 4:45

good.

"Cabo" Jim 4:45

So let's other questions about your music. So when you see people of all different ages enjoying your music, what what does that mean to you? I mean, it's for me, it's kind of cool. I mean, I I worked with a band in Orlando and we played a lot of 80s music. Yeah, and it was cool to see the younger kids getting into the 80s music. Like it is, they were born, but they know they love it.

Speaker 2 5:04

Right. Well, it's old as new again. That's always the case, you know. Um, different age groups is to me, if I have all these different age groups all enjoying the show, it means I know that I'm doing it right. Right. Um, we're picking the right song list, we're we're interacting with the crowd, the right way to get them in you know involved and keep their minds activated on it. And you know, the last thing you want to see see in front of you is people staring at those phones, you know. I mean, those things, the attention span of people has gotten so short. So you gotta be energetic and entertaining on stage, and that's what I want to be anyway, because you know, it's my job to to help everybody have a good time. And uh, you know, I always tell my guys, we're not here to party, we are here to facilitate the party. Right, right. There might be a little party.

"Cabo" Jim 5:52

A little bit, a little bit. But that's what it is. It's it's a family event that you're putting together too. So you want to bring all the people of all ages out here and kind of entertain them as well. So why should people come out and see you on Labor Day weekend?

Why Labor Day Weekend Belongs Here

Speaker 2 6:07

Um, I I just feel like it's gonna be the place to be for Labor Day weekend. I mean, it's a time of celebration, you know, all across the country. Um, but um, I feel like this is gonna be I mean, it's gotta be the biggest party, best party going on in the area. So uh we're gonna we're gonna do our best to bring in as many folks uh to concentrate that energy here in Tanzas as we can.

Speaker 1 6:29

It's uh end of summer. I mean, we want to celebrate the end of summer. What better way to do that than with the Ben Allen band? Yeah, seasons coming, seasons coming, right?

"Cabo" Jim 6:36

Right, absolutely. See, up noise end of summer is kind of like a downer. Up down here, it's like, hey, people are coming back. It's time to party again.

Speaker 2 6:44

So well, it's it's yeah, it's like end of season and beginning of seasons are like they're both sweet and bittersweet. They definitely are.

Speaker 1 6:55

They definitely are. Because that's our busy time in season. That's that's when we're making it, and then off season, we look forward to events like this. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 7:03

Yeah, we we we we grind all season long, and I say grind in a in a loving fashion because I love what I do. We put we play, you know, three, four, five shows a week in season, a lot of m so many private events, and then and then it it just wears on you, you know. So when season ends, we get to kick back a little bit. But then so I have time to do hobbies and enjoy life, my family time, different time, right? Um, and then also lots of trips out of state show playing shows, and before you know it, it's Labor Day and seasons get ready to go get ready to go again.

"Cabo" Jim 7:34

Nice, nice. And I know Sean's worked very hard at this event, uh, you know, even though it is off season, you're probably working just as hard. But uh a lot of good things coming out. So uh I'll ask you the question and I'll ask

The Experience They Want You To Remember

"Cabo" Jim 7:45

Ben. So when people leave the event at the end of the weekend, what do you hope they're saying?

Speaker 1 7:51

Can't wait to see this next year. Can't wait to come back again. And that's that's another key point is we they come, they have a great experience, they remember it. And if they're not locals or not from the island, we hope they come back the following weekend. They may not get you know the premier concert, but the goal is to get that returning guest and give them a good experience. So that's what's and we're setting ourselves up for success that weekend. I think it's gonna be amazing. A little bit for everybody, that whole family concept from from boats to music to food to energy. That's gonna be good.

"Cabo" Jim 8:19

This is the place to be. The buzz, the buzz is happening. This is where people people need to be. Uh, come out and see the Ben Allen band and uh the other things that are going on, and maybe buy a boat. You know, there's gonna be a lot of boats around here, too, right?

Speaker 3 8:32

How about a boat?

"Cabo" Jim 8:33

Right? She'll write a song about that.

Speaker 2 8:37

We've got we definitely got some boat songs. There we go, right? There we go.

Speaker 1 8:42

Any last words for our uh listeners today? Uh just just make sure you set the dates and uh come out and see us, see, listen to Ben Allen and enjoy the weekend.

Speaker 2 8:52

Absolutely. Come to the show, come to the all all three days of it. I know there's gonna be lots of stuff going on, lots of fun things. Um be at the concert. That'll be the crime de la crine.

Speaker 3 9:01

Absolutely. It's a place to be. Catch the buzz, right? Catch the buzz. Buzz the buzz. There we go. Till next time. Thanks, guys.

Final Invite And Sign Off

Intro/Close 9:08

Thanks for joining us on Buzz on the Bay, sponsored by Matanzas on the Bay. We hope you enjoyed this look at the people, places, and waterfront experiences that make life around Fort Myers Beach so special. From great food and island drinks to boating, music, and local happenings. There's always something happening on the bay. Until next time, stay tropical, stay connected, and keep enjoying where the bay comes alive.