By now you’re probably aware of the Cool Out movement, which launched in the Cayman Islands in 2022.
Designed to champion songwriters and artists alike while offering workshops, camps, intimate concerts and other performance-related sessions, it’s back and bigger for 2023, running 2-5 Nov.
Last year saw singer-songwriter and Grammy Award-winning artist Paul Overstreet entertaining crowds at local venues, with his son Nash Overstreet of Hot Chelle Rae fame, the legendary Swanky Kitchen Band and Hi Tide playing at various events over the three-day weekend.
This time around, both Overstreets will be performing once again, as well as SKB, Jason Gilbert, Rico Rolando and The Lionfish. Cayman’s troubadour and prolific songwriter Barefoot Man (George Nowak) will also be honoured for his 50th anniversary of creating and performing in the islands.
Some new international faces will be making their debut in Cayman this year.
Renowned DJ and producer Steve Aoki will be on island taking centre stage, along with Kpop idol AleXa. Aoki has collaborated with such artists as BTS and Louis Tomlinson, and has won multiple awards, including Billboard’s Best Mix Album of the Year.
Just as before, Cool Out will be present at different locales around Cayman, and Camana Bay will definitely be in the thick of the action.
KARoo at Camana Bay, well-known for its interactive evenings, will be hosting live performances for three days straight — a cornucopia of talent that guests of the restaurant, visitors sitting on patios and families walking the Crescent can enjoy.
Emceed by Douglas Cameron (better known to all as JR), the Open Canvas Stage @ KARoo will feature a rotation of artists that includes dancers and musicians.
It all starts on Thursday, 2 Nov., running from 5 to 10 p.m. and the same times on Friday, 3 Nov., with Saturday, 4 Nov. bringing it home in grand fashion by offering a whopping 10 hours of entertainment from noon to 10 p.m. The lineups have been in the works for weeks, capturing some of the best acts booked in Cayman today.
Solo musicians such as Harmony Scott, Chris Sanchez, Dario Rivers and Jardel McIntosh are on the schedule, along with the Nathan Herrera duo and SM Danny & Max, plus bigger configurations like The Sandkickers band.
Attendees are encouraged to put on their dancing shoes, as Kirk Salsa King will be showing off his skills and motivating the crowd to join in, and Quinntessential Movement are also on the roster for a dance display. These, combined with a live art presentation by Carlos Garcia, a demo by Taekwondo TKD 345, and a spoken-word performance by Floetry will make it a long weekend to remember.
The best part of all is that Open Canvas Stage @ KARoo is completely free to attend! No need to buy tickets online or at the gate – it is as open an event as the name implies. So, grab your family and friends, head to Camana Bay and treat yourself to some great vibes, courtesy of Cool Out 2023.
This article was featured in the November 2023 issue of Camana Bay Times.