Key West’s favorite solo entertainer.

Hi I’m John,

I learned guitar in my dorm room while “kind of” attending college at SUNY New Paltz, in NY.

First gig was in 1984 at a local bar in Glen Cove.

By 1990, I was making a full-time living, playing every pub, club, and dive that would pay, sometimes just enough for gas money. Newsday printed a small write-up with a simple quote that read:

“John LaMere is one of a small handful of musicians who is responsible for the current resurgence of acoustic music on Long Island."

Good start, so I ran with it, I teamed up with numerous musicians and bands for the next few years. Lessons were learned, relearned, and the bumps and bruises healed to reveal a more seasoned player who was determined to make this work.

In 1993 I moved to Ocean City MD, with nothing more than my guitar and a desire to play. Hard work and dedication brought lots of gigs, and I was soon playing 250 shows a year. A former musician partner, Chris Button, found his way from Long Island to OC in 1994 and Crowded OutHouse was born. Our onstage banter and strong playing brought us a great local following. After being picked up by Ocean 98.1 WOCM, we began a five year string of early morning radio, late night gigs, and more friends and fans every day.

2006 found me in Key West, Florida, visiting a musician friend. I joined him for a few songs and was offered a gig. My one week vacation turned into three weeks. By the next year, I was playing OCMD in summer, and KW in winter. After ten years of the back-and-forth, I moved to KW permanently.

So, here we are, a lifetime later, over 8,000 gigs under my belt, more forgotten places than remembered, more experiences and stories to share. I've been incredibly fortunate to have played with some amazing musicians, met some great people, It's hard work, and I love every minute. I try things that I have no business trying. And I’m having a blast doing it! Acoustically Armed and Dangerous. Absolutely.