When Dana Lawrence first took the stage in San Francisco in 2001 with a name borrowed from Laurel and Hardy’s old comedy routines—”What a fine kettle of fish you’ve gotten us into”—he had no idea he was launching something that would outlast a recession, countless venue closures, and the radical transformation of the Suncoast music scene itself. A quarter-century later, Kettle of Fish has become more than just a band. It’s become a fixture in the region’s cultural identity, the kind of institution people plan their weekends around.
The math alone is striking. Twenty-five years in a working band isn’t just longevity; it’s defiance. Dana Lawrence started Kettle of Fish as a side project while juggling the family business. As gigs multiplied, so did his commitment. But what truly sets this story apart is that the band didn’t just survive—it evolved intentionally. Early on, they’d play almost anything to get the work. Over time, they narrowed their focus to what became their signature sound: soulful, blues-based rock influenced by New Orleans, Americana, The Band, and the Neville Brothers. Lawrence calls it “Festiblues”—festival blues music designed to move people. That deliberate artistic maturation, paired with community roots, is what separates nostalgia acts from living institutions.
The Suncoast they started in looks nothing like today’s version. In the early 2000s, there were plenty of bars with live music, but no central gathering place for musicians or fans, no social media ecosystem, no Facebook musician groups. Promoting a show meant hanging flyers. Now it means hours online. The scene that once felt unorganized has been reshaped by growth, traffic, and the loss of beloved venues—though some, like Aces in Bradenton and the Blue Rooster in Sarasota, hold permanent places in the band’s memory and in the hearts of longtime fans. Stottlemyer’s Smokehouse, where Kettle of Fish has been playing Sundays for over a decade, has become their anchor point.
What’s kept the lights on and the music honest? A band identity bigger than any single member. The loss of mentor and musician Greg Poulos cut deep—he remains woven into everything they do—but the foundation never cracked. Whether a different guitarist or keyboard player takes the stage, audiences know what they’re getting. That consistency, paired with genuine connection to the community, has created something rare: a touring band with roots. Visitors plan Florida vacations around their performance schedule. Longtime fans bring new ones. At Stottlemyer’s, Dana once unplugged his guitar and started a conga line through the crowd—within minutes, nearly everyone was in it. That’s not technique; that’s trust.
The proudest moments read like a who’s who of Suncoast live music: opening for legendary guitarist Dickey Betts (who specifically requested them again and called them “intimidating”), playing tributes, organizing benefits that raised thousands, performing at Big Top Brewing in front of a packed house with Sister Hazel. But the milestone that captures what Dana values most might be his recording collaboration with Danny Toler of the Allman Brothers Band on the original song “Damage.” That’s not just a credit on a resume—that’s validation from the musicians who shaped your sound.
The 25th Anniversary Celebration happens on Sunday, June 14, 2026, at Stottlemyer’s Smokehouse, the venue that’s been their Sunday home for over a decade. It’s fitting. After a quarter-century of building something together, Dana Lawrence and Kettle of Fish aren’t slowing down. They’re still growing, still finding new challenges, still doing what they started doing back in 2001: making music that connects people. In a Suncoast that’s changed more in 25 years than most places do in a century, that’s no fine kettle of fish—that’s a triumph.