KEY LARGO — When speaking to Josh Phillips about The Keys Disease, the Key Largo-based music group he heads, the first thing one notices is how self-deprecating he is about their abilities.
“You saw that show and want to do a profile? We were horrible,” Phillips said in a text, referring to a recent gig the group played at the Caribbean Club.
kAm!9:==:AD[ ca[ H2D 2D<65 9@H 72C 324< 9:D >FD:4 42C66C 8@6D[ 2?5 2E H92E 286 96 3682? A=2J:?8]k^Am
kAm“$25=J[ H96? x H2D J@F?8[ 2?5 x DE:== 5@?’E <?@H 9@H E@ A=2J[” 96 D2:5] (96? E96 92CD9 ?2EFC6 @7 9:D D6=7\4C:E:4:D> H2D 3C@F89E FA[ 96 4@?4:D6=J 2?DH6C65 E92E 96 925 “?6G6C E9@F89E 23@FE :E]”k^Am
kAm!9:==:AD :D E96 7@F?5:?8 2?5 @?=J 4@?D:DE6?E >6>36C @7 %96 z6JD s:D62D6] %96 C6DE 92G6 366? 2 C@E2E:?8 42DE @7 =@42= >FD:4:2?D H9@ A=2J 2 H:56 2DD@CE>6?E @7 :?DECF>6?ED] q6EH66? EH@ 2?5 7:G6 @7 E96> 92G6 366? @? DE286 2E E96:C D9@HD @G6C E96 J62CD] %96 =2E6DE :E6C2E:@? 4@?D:DE65 @7 !9:==:AD @? E96 8F:E2C 2?5 G@42=D 2?5 |2C4 t] r964< @? A:2?@[ 244@C5:@? 2?5 G@42=D]k^Am
kAmqFE :? 2? pAC:= f A@DE @? E96 32?5’D u2463@@< A286[ !9:==:AD 2??@F?465 E92E 96 2?5 r964< H@F=5 36 E2<:?8 2 3C62< 7C@> E96 >FD:4 D46?6 E@86E96C[ =62G:?8 9:> @?46 282:? 2D E96 D@=6 >6>36C @7 E96 8C@FA]k^Am
kAm“yFDE D@ E96 CF>@CD 42? 36 AFE E@ C6DE[ H6 2C6 DE:== 8@@5 7C:6?5D[ DE:== A=2J:?8 >FD:4 H96? H6 42?[ 2?5 %96 z6JD s:D62D6 :D DE:== DE2?5:?8] x DE2CE65 :E 367@C6 x >6E |2C4 2?5 x H:== <66A :E 8@:?8 E:== E96 s:D62D6 E2<6D >J D@F=[” !9:==:AD D2:5 :? E96 A@DE]k^Am
kAm%96 32?5 DE2CE65 H96? !9:==:AD H6?E E@ 2 “;2> ?:89E” 2E E96 ~462?G:6H x?? 2?5 $A@CED !F3 :? xD=2>@C252 2?5 H2D 23=6 E@ 86E @? DE286 2?5 A=2J 2 3:E] %9C@F89 E92E[ 96 >6E @E96C >FD:4:2?D 2?5 6G6?EF2==J 7@C>65 E96 ?6EH@C< E92E 3642>6 E96 =@@D6 z6JD s:D62D6 277:=:2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 8C@FA 92D 8@?6 E9C@F89 2 ?F>36C @7 >6>36CD H9@ A=2J :?DECF>6?ED ?@E FDF2==J 7@F?5 :? E96 32C =:G6 >FD:4 4:C4F:E :? E96 z6JD[ :?4=F5:?8 r964<’D 244@C5:@? 2?5 2?@E96C >6>36C DA@CE:?8 2 G:@=:?]k^Am
kAm%96 8C@FA 6G6?EF2==J D6EE=65 :?E@ “2 D@=:5 5F@” H96? !9:==:AD >6E r964<[ 3FE !9:==:AD D2:5 E96 EH@ 92G6 5:776C6?46D :? @A:?:@? 23@FE E96 32?5]k^Am
kAm“w6’D @? @?6 A2E9[ x’> @? 2?@E96C[” !9:==:AD D2:5] “x 42? @?=J 962C D@ >F49 vC2E67F= s625]”k^Am
kAm!9:==:AD 56D4C:365 2 4@?E6?E:@FD 3FE =@G:?8 C6=2E:@?D9:A[ 255:?8 E92E :E’D ?@E F?4@>>@? E@ D66 E96> D4C62>:?8 2E 6249 @E96C @?DE286 36EH66? D@?8D]k^Am
kAm“|2C4 2?5 x 92G6 2 G6CJ H6:C5 C6=2E:@?D9:A[” !9:==:AD D2:5] “(6’C6 =:<6 3C@E96CD H9@ 7:89E 2== E96 E:>6]”k^Am
kAmqFE 96 25565 E92E E96 EH@ DE:== A=2? E@ A=2J E@86E96C :? E96 7FEFC6]k^Am
kAm!9:==:AD’ G:D:@? 7@C E96 8C@FA :D E@ 3C:?8 D@>6E9:?8 F?:BF6 E@ E96 =@42= >FD:4 D46?6[ H9:49 >@DE=J 4@?D:DED @7 4@G6C 32?5D H9@ 7C6BF6?E E96 =@42= 32CD 2?5 C6DE2FC2?ED] w6 H2?ED E@ A=2J @C:8:?2= D@?8D 2?5 3C62< 7C@> E96 >@=5[ H9:49[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 9:>[ 42? 62C? D@>6 @DEC24:K2E:@? 7C@> @E96C =@42= >FD:4:2?D]k^Am
kAm%96 >FD:4 D46?6 :D 5:776C6?E H96C6 !9:==:AD 8C6H FA :? pD96G:==6[ }]r] xE H2D E96C6 E92E 96 8C6H FA =:DE6?:?8 E@ xC@? |2:56?[ |6E2==:42 2?5 }:CG2?2] %96 =2DE @7 H9:49 !9:==:AD D2:5 “D9@H65 FD 9@H 62DJ :E :D E@ A=2J >FD:4 E9C@F89 2 A@H6C 49@C5]”k^Am
kAm~?6 DE2A=6 ?2CC2E:G6 @7 E96 r~'xs\`h A2?56>:4 92D 366? 9@H 56G2DE2E:?8 :E 92D 366? 7@C >FD:4:2?D H9@ A6C7@C> =:G6] p=E9@F89 A6C7@C>2?46D 92G6 368F? E@ C6EFC?[ !9:==:AD D2:5 E96 =@4<5@H? H2D 2 E:>6 H96? 2 =@E @7 E96 D@?8D 96 4FCC6?E=J A=2JD H6C6 HC:EE6?]k^Am
kAmw6 56D4C:365 9@H 96 H6?E :?E@ 2 “H66< @7 H6:C5?6DD” 2?5 HC@E6 7:G6 D@?8D :? E9C66 52JD] ~?6 D@?8 H2D HC:EE6? EH@ 52JD 367@C6 %C@A:42= $E@C> tE2] yFDE 367@C6 E96 DE@C> H2D 4@>:?8 E@ H96C6 !9:==:A’D =:G65 @? E96 `g\|:=6 $EC6E49[ 96 42==65 FA r964< H9@ 5C@G6 7C@> E96 {@H6C z6JD :? 2 wF>>6C “:? E9C66 766E @7 H2E6C[” 244@C5:?8 E@ !9:==:AD] %96 wF>>6C 5:5 ?@E DFCG:G6 E96 6I4FCD:@?[ 3FE E96 D@?8 H2D 2 DF446DD]k^Am
kAm!9:==:AD 92D 2=D@ AF==65 D@>6 D@?8D 96 HC@E6 7@C 2 32?5 96 H2D 2 A2CE @7 324< :? pD96G:==6 2?5 368F? E@ A=2J E96> 2E 9:D C646?E D9@HD]k^Am
kAm“r~'xs H2D 8@@5 7@C 492?8:?8 E9:?8D FA 2?5 86EE:?8 324< E@ >J C@@ED[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm!9:==:AD 42>6 E@ E96 z6JD @C:8:?2==J E@ 7:?5 H@C< 2D 2 5:G6 >2DE6C[ 3FE D2:5 96 C62=:K65 96 5:5?’E =:<6 36:?8 2? :?DECF4E@C] w6 H@F=5 =:<6 7@C >FD:4 E@ 36 9:D =:G6=:9@@5] uFEFC6 8:8D 2C6 3@@<65 7@C %96 z6JD s:D62D6 2?5 7@C 9:D @E96C >FD:4 AC@;64ED] ~?6 AC@;64E[ |J s2>2865 r:C4F:E[ AC@>:D6D E@ 36 “G6CJ 5:776C6?E E92? H92E E96 z6JD 2C6 FD65 E@]”k^Am
kAm(96? E96 uC66 !C6DD H2D F?23=6 E@ C6249 r964<[ !9:==:AD D2:5 E9:D :D ?@E F?4@>>@?] %@ 9:>[ r964< 6>3@5:6D E96 @=5 DE6C6@EJA6 @7 z6JD s:D62D6]k^Am
kAm“w6 H:== AC@323=J 42== J@F :? E9C66 52JD H:E9 D@>6 DE@CJ @7 9@H 96 H@<6 FA :? %:;F2?2 @? 2 DEC2H 7=@@C H:E9 9:D A2?ED 2C@F?5 9:D 2?<=6D 2?5 2 5@?<6J =:4<:?8 9:D 7246[” !9:==:AD D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 EH@ @7 E96> >2J 4=2D9[ 3FE !9:==:AD =@@<D 7@CH2C5 E@ H@C<:?8 H:E9 9:> 282:?[ 6G6? :7 96 92D BF2=>D H:E9 r964<’D @?DE286 2AA62C2?46]k^Am
kAm“x7 x 92G6 E@ =@@< 2E @?6 >@C6 w2H2::2? D9:CE[ 92=7 F?3FEE@?65 H:E9 E@@ >F49 D6IJ 92?8:?8 @FE …”k^Am