Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Island Arts: Get out and listen to the Mixed Nuts on Marco

The Marco Island Civic Association has several upcoming events scheduled at the Marco Island Residents Beach. Members are invited to join in the fun with their fellow members, so be sure to mark these dates on your calendar.

Sat, Feb. 13, 4 p.m. – Mixed Nuts

Sun, March 13, 4 p.m. – Gary & Kerri, opening for Fakahatchee Band

Sat, April 10, 3:30-8 p.m. – Jim Long, opening for Deb & The Dynamics

With a name like Mixed Nuts, you must be asking yourself, “What could that be?” Mixed Nuts is a local band consisting of Marco Island and Naples residents. Islanders Patrick Junkroski and Paul Novak are longtime members of the group. Patrick plays keyboards and vocals, and Paul plays bass and vocals, as well. Steve Lauster is on drums and vocals, with Joel Rogers on guitar and vocals, and Felix Torres rounds out the group on percussion.

Mixed Nuts is an all-around party band that plays a wide variety of music from the ‘50s through today (Motown, disco, etc.). However, they are best known for their World Beat take on songs. They play plenty of Caribbean and Afro-Cuban music, and use those influences to season well-known songs from other popular genres. Yes, Mixed Nuts can rock out on the Beatles’ “I Saw Her Standing There,” but we also do an original Latin salsa arrangement of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” Their motto is, “We’ll play eight bars of anything!”

Mixed Nuts plays every Sunday at the Naples Beach Hotel from 6 to 9 p.m. in January, February, March, May, October and November. They also play private functions at the Marriott Hotel, and they do corporate work, private parties and weddings just about anywhere.

The Mixed Nuts guys know what our members want to hear, and they’re excited about playing for the home crowd! Remember to bring your Residents Beach ID, a lawn chair, blanket and jacket, just in case it cools off a little as the sun goes down! Paradise Grill will be open late on Feb. 13, so enjoy dinner at Residents Beach as well as the live entertainment!

On another note, for the fourth year, MICA is again participating in the Healthy Life lecture series. The next seminar in the series will be held at 7 p.m., Feb. 23, at Mackle Park. Board Certified Cardiologist Dr. Roland Werres will present “Ohhh, My Chest Hurts! Is it Indigestion or a Heart Attack?”

A Marco Island resident, Werres obtained his medical degree from the University of Cologne Medical School in Germany. His advanced training includes an internal medicine residency and cardiology fellowship at the Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, affiliated with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. With more than 30 years experience, Werres is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, with sub-specialties in cardiovascular diseases and nuclear cardiology. Currently, he is accepting new patients and is located on the campus of Physicians Regional-Collier Boulevard.

For questions about these events or for further information about MICA or Residents’ Beach, please call the MICA office at 642-7778.

The Marco Island Civic Association provides this column to keep readers informed about the group. If your club or organization is interested in submitting a column or content, please contact Editor Bill Green at bgreen@marconews.com.