On the third Monday of every month, songs of the sea take over the Overboard Restaurant at the Southern Belle Landing in Downtown Chattanooga, into what has grown to be known as the River City Shanty Sessions, a night to gather in merriment while singing river and sea shanties.
The next River City Shanty Session will be held on Monday, November 17th.
These sessions are come-one, come-all, with the event being organized by Keith Fawcett, who is a New Orleans transplant that arrived in Chattanooga in 2018 after serving over 34 years in the Coast Guard, including nine of which spent on active duty.
He and his wife relocated here after Katrina devastated them, and only since he retired has he had time to start the shanty sessions along with continuing his practice of maritime art.
The River City Shanty Sessions were created by Keith as a way to express his love for songs of the sea and to get people to come together and fellowship over music.
In speaking with the Pulse about the sessions, Keith mentioned that you never know what magic might occur.
“The atmosphere is welcoming, and songbooks are provided. We advertise this as a free and open sing. It is similar to a song circle where everyone gets a chance to suggest and lead a sea shanty. You never know what magic will occur.”
On what drew Keith to these sessions, and being a maritime artist, he mentions that he has had a love for the sea his whole life.
“For me the love of the sea is all-encompassing; it provides all. So I have been doing nautical art my whole life. I work in a wide array of media and have several pieces in gallery locations around town. Retiring from the Coast Guard has given me an opportunity to focus on the shanty sessions and my bespoke maritime art.”
When asked about plans for the future of the River City Shanty Sessions, Keith suggested that he has plans to expand.
“My ultimate goal is to grow these Shanty Sessions so there is a regular audience and so we can also put on themed shanty sessions such as Riverboats, Whaling, and other themed sessions. I also would like to develop a performing sea shanty musical group here in the Chattanooga area and finally to have enough fan base to bring great sea shanty performing artists here to put on concerts and also small house concerts.”
Keith Fawcett’s River City Shanty Sessions are an incredible part of the tapestry that is the eclectic growing music scene in Chattanooga, and as Fawcett suggests, they are meant to inspire and enrich the community.
“These songs inspire when the chips are down, and there are shanties for every single emotion: joy, heroism, tragedy, romance, and on and on.”
P.S. Try to say River City Sea Shanty Sessions three times fast.
River City Shanty Sessions
- 6:30-8:30 p.m. November 17. Free.
- Held on the third Monday of each month.
- Overboard Bar and Grille. Ross’s Landing.
- 151 Riverfront Parkway, Chattanooga, TN.
- Keith’s Website: theslipwaycompany.com