This Ain't a Backyard, it's a Dance Floor

Sneezy at the Sugarshack Sessions

“OH! THIS IS GONNA BE GOOD!” exclaims the older gentleman standing next to me, a little louder than he means to. He can’t hear himself. He’s wearing glowing green headphones provided by Sugarshack Sessions, a south Florida live music experience unlike any other. I’d just taken off my headphones to hear Brett teach the crowd the chorus of “Fat Girlfriend.” I’m willing to bet this is the first concert at this venue with a sing along. It’s about to explode into a dance floor. That’s the Sneezy effect. An intimate acoustic set doesn’t mean no props or bright colors. We gotta boogie.

Sugarshack Sessions take place in a backyard in Bonita Springs, FL. Literally, in somebody’s backyard. String lights, palm trees, a corner stage that appears out of nowhere. Guests buy a ticket to a mystery band and show up not knowing what they’re walking into. What they get is a five-course meal, craft cocktails, and a live acoustic set filmed with high production value. It’s been running since 2014, and it shows.

Sneezy was honored to do this set and couldn’t help but put some pressure on it. A ticketed audience, a curated experience, cameras rolling. This wasn’t a bar gig where you play through the chatter. Every take mattered. We wanted to nail it and showcase our unique live show in a beautiful context.

My favorite moment in the session was when the food was served. Well, no duh. The first course was bacon-wrapped dates, and the smell had been wafting through the first few takes. Every one of us was salivating, but the band had been so locked in that I could tell nobody wanted to be the first to ask for food. The culture of Sugarshack, though, was more like a household than a venue. Food and drink had flowed from the moment we unloaded. We’d had a team huddle before any guests arrived. Still, once the ticketed crowd filtered in, dressed up and fancy, it was easy to feel like we were the colorful strays that wandered into this stunning backyard. The staff never made us feel that way. Jack broke first, asking for some bacon. Domino effect. Suddenly everyone was laughing with their mouths full, and the music just got better from there.

The first video published from the session was “She’s So Hawt.” It’s a new song, new enough that doing this session forced the band to finally commit to an official name. But I’ve watched it light up crowds for a year now. There’s a repeating lyric: “OH MY GOD, SHE’S SO HAWT!” Something about Sneezy’s earnest admiration of hotness makes all the pretty girls dance a little harder. I’ve been waiting for it to exist somewhere I could link to the hotties I know, and now it finally does. The fan-favorite “Fat Girlfriend” drops tonight. Brett taught a backyard full of strangers the chorus before the take. They sang it back. Tune in for the Sneezy effect.

Thanks for reading! I’ve got more road life tidbits scheduled for you tomorrow, since Sneezy will be busy rocking Scorched Mountain Music and Flow festival. We’ll keep tabs on the gofundme somehow, I’m sure. The stakes of getting a new van are too high. Share the link with someone today, even if they seem too fancy. Talk soon <3