The Three Saints

Jaguar spent 9 glorious days living the dream in the US Virgin Islands. It was an amazing trip that we will always remember as some the best days of our life. This does not happen without the generosity of many people. Jaguar would like thank the following people one more time:

  • Reed & Sherry Compton at The Beach Bar St. John

    None of this happens without Reed and Sherry. They provide the stage, all the equipment, the vibe, the view, the great food and drinks…. they make it so this rock band from the past has a present. We will be thankful forever.

  • Collette Grant at Sapphire Beach Bar
    Collette allowed us to play April 2019 at the Sapphire Beach Bar for our 30th reunion. We played the following February. Because of COVID we had to wait 3 years to return. WOW! This show may have been our best ever. You and your staff knocked it out of the park. Everything was perfect. Thank you, Collette.

  • Priscilla Lynn - Street Level VI
    Priscilla and I have been working on this tour together for over 6 months. It was her idea to do our final show for a local charity. I told Priscilla we would do great things together. I was right. It was great. Thank you, ‘Cilla.

  • Walter Becker
    We had never really met Walter and Becky of Everlong Excursions before this trip. Now we are best friends for life. We took a VIP tour with Everlong Excursions. We hung out at the Beach Bar together. Everlong was the biggest sponsor and we celebrated Becky’s birthday for our last show. I mean… who does this? We got to do great things with great people. It was a hoot! Everlong for life!

  • Nate McGown of Lourdes and the Switch
    Nathan provide most of our equipment for our show Sunday at the Sapphire Beach Bar. He was extremely generous with his time and effort. And to top it off it was his birthday. Not all local musicians are as welcoming as Nate and Lourdes. Thank you for making us sound so good.

  • Andy Easton of Resurrections Restorations
    Andy has been there from our very first reunion tour in 2019. He is still helping us. Andy provided us with his drums Sunday at the Sapphire Beach Bar. He is an amazing musician. He is an amazing person and one of the smartest people I have ever met. He was the first to encourage Jaguar to reform for real and starting playing the USVI regularly. Thank you Andy. We are still big fans.

  • Kristen Cox
    Our property manager, our hero. Kristen runs St. John Ultimate Villas. We can’t recommend this rental company enough. They provide housing options not found on AirBNB or VRBO. The cost is much cheaper then these services. Thank you Kristen for allowing a rock band to stay at one of your properties again. Since we renamed Sugar Bird Villa the Casa de Jaguar we can’t imagine staying anywhere else.

  • Ryan Diehl at Sail With Liberty
    We have sailed with Ryan 5 times since 2019. This year was our favorite sail ever. EVER! We spent the day on a boat in the Caribbean Ocean with our family and Ryan’s. It will never get any better. Thank you Ryan and Mumfy. Thank you.

  • The Three Saints
    St. John, St. Thomas and St. Patrick. We are eternally grateful.

The journey home

We made to the dock for 8:30 AM car ferry but it never came. I know we were all hoping to be stranded one more day. Unfortunately, the 9 AM ferry was on time and we reluctantly boarded.

Today was our last day. We cherished our last minutes on St. John. We watched St. Thomas pass by through our car windows. We are happy to be sad.

How many more weeks should we stay Rick?

How do feel about going home Jason?

We got to the airport by 10 AM. Debra and I grabbed a quick bite to eat. Rick, Debra, and I took the 12:10 to Miami on route Las Vegas, NV. Chris and Jason took the 12:20 on route to Washington D.C. and Baltimore MD.

This is Debra’s fake smile before boarding our flight home.

It’s always hard explaining our trip home. It is always bittersweet. It is those last moments of paradise before we start our journey that are so precious. It is always good to get home to our family. But it so heartbreaking to leave such a magical place.

For the record we all made it home safe and sound and went back to our lives. We brought back sunburns, souvenirs and some of the happiest memories that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Every trip is unique. And every trip is the same. Because on some level every trip changes our lives.

You did it again.

Thank you St. Thomas

Thank you St. John

Thank you St. Patrick

Vitamin Sea

Jaguar has made 5 trips to St. Thomas since we returned in 2019. Every trip we have scheduled one “Boat Day” with Ryan Diehl and his charter company Sail With Liberty. We usually schedule it as the last full day of our stay. It is our way to celebrate the week that was.

This day was extra super special because:

  • It was the first day of spring

  • It’s was Debra’s birthday

  • Lourdes Aguila of the world famous Lourdes and the Switch spent the day with us.

  • We finally got meet Ryan’s wife Mumfy and his daughter Marianna.

    A boat, a birthday party, Ryan’s family and a celebrity.
    Sounds like the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous right?

The first boat ride of the day

We got up bright and early (early for a rock band) and took the 9AM ferry from St. John to St. Thomas. That’s right, we took a boat ride to take a boat ride. We arrived at the American Yacht Harbor at 9:30-ish. Jason and I made a quick stop to Mo’s Fresh Market for some last minute provisions (translation: beer run)

Jason “Gillian” Heiser and Lourdes who is wondering what she was thinking when she agreed to spend the day with Jaguar on a boat.

Ryan met us at the dock and took us to the Liberty. We were so surprised to see Ryan’s wife, Mumfy, his daughter, Marianna, and Lourdes Aguilla. What a wonderful group of people to spend this perfect day with.

Ryan “the real” Diehl is saying in his mind ….. “Band Overboard!”

We sailed to Honeymoon Beach, St. John to spend the day sun bathing and snorkeling. It was glorious. We saw many fish. It’s just like floating in an aquarium. We also saw a barracuda, baby shark (doo-do da doo), a huge stingray, and turtles!

Debra spends her birthday in the Caribbean Ocean…. how do you spell Kardashian?

We then had a light lunch and Mumphy brought out birthday cupcakes. We sang happy birthday to Debra. She was so happy. It was a truly wonderful moment for all of us.

Ryan returned us to the American Yacht Harbor where we said our goodbyes. We were terribly sad to see the day end. We took the 4:00 PM ferry back to St. John (yes our 3rd boat ride of the day). We did our last round of souvenir and birthday shopping in Cruz Bay. Chris got a fresh sliced coconut from a local vendor and passed it around. It was unbelievably good.

Jason says if I got to be homeless I’m gonna do it right here.

We then headed back to Casa de Jaguar for our last night and our last dinner together. After our traditional six questions, Chris, Jason and Rick surprised Debra with birthday presents. She was touched. It was a great ending to a great day on a great trip.

The Grande Finale

Today was the day. Our final Jaguar show was to be held at the Sapphire Beach Bar on St. Thomas. We were going to go out with a bang! We partnered with Priscilla Lynn of Street Level VI. Proceeds and donations from today’s show would go to her SLVI Youth Music Education Program Fund. It has always been important for Jaguar to give back to the USVI. It is a place that has changed our lives. We were also celebrating Becky Ponder Mitchell’s birthday of Everlong Excursions. Our newest best friends!

We did not get to play Sapphire Beach last summer. We were so happy to see our friends we haven’t seen since 2020. We were also thrilled to meet so many new people who became our new friends…

Meet new people, do cool things….in really cool places…

After our first set the Montessori Percussion Ensemble (the recipients of the SLVI Youth Music Education Program Fund) made their debut performance on the Sapphire Beach Bar Stage. There were a lot of proud parents in the audience. Great job by Music Director Joie Byrd. You guys were a tough act to follow.

By every metric our final show was a huge success. The money raised, the dancing, the singing, the smiles, the high fives, the encores, and all the new friends…..

This afternoon may have been the best show Jaguar has ever done. It as if the entire 34 year journey has been leading up to this moment. Jaguar could not be more proud of our last performance.

In 1989 we came here to play 4 weeks on St. Thomas and St. John. I was hoping to not get fired after our first night. We played for 4 months.

30 years later we reunited to come back and spend a week here. Our plan was only to relive the experience and have few laughs. 3 months later we came back to play our first show in 30 years. We thought, why not come back every year? We don’t have to recreate Jaguar. Let’s be the best Jaguar we can be right now. And here we are…..4 years later playing Sapphire Beach,… surrounded by so many friends and having the best time of our lives. Who would have believed it?

I did.

Shout out to our many friends who spent the afternoon with us:

  • Christine Blanck

  • Shane Prather

  • Andrew Clark (aka Drew Rock VI)

  • Sherrie Hetzel Davis

  • David W Whisler

  • Carmen Garcia

  • Alice E Engelhardt

  • Freddie Rabuse

  • Bill Creque (Drummer of Road Fever)

  • Mary Ann and Bill Brown

  • David Miles

  • Hayden Freeman

  • Ryan & Mumfy Diehl

  • Jon Rudy Ruedemann

  • Collette Grant

  • Paul Perkins

  • Wendy Erving

  • Lourdes Aguila & Nathan McClone

  • Debra White

  • Jennifer and Paul Kingman

  • Franca Tantillo

  • Susan Kinder

  • Gerry Cockrell

  • Lolly Bridges

  • Jessie Triplett

  • David Maugrion

  • Robin Ballard

  • Andy Easton

  • Becky Ponder Mitchell and Walter Petruska

* Send us a message if I missed anyone

Lost in the Right Direction

It’s Saturday and Jaguar has the day off. Previously when visiting the USVI we play all our shows consecutively. This year we put an off day between our Friday, St. Patrick’s Day, show and our Sunday afternoon show. A day off to reflect, recharge, and just enjoy the island lifestyle.

Most mornings our biggest decision of the day is which beach should we spend the day at. Today we decided it would be Cinnamon Bay Beach.

Pretty as a postcard

Debra and I decided we would get an early start and the band decided they would meet us there. This was the first time any of us had been to this beach and it was stunning. All of the beaches on the north side of St. John are beautiful. It is so hard to pick a favorite but Cinnamon Bay has to be in the top 2.

Cinnamon Bay Beach

On the way to the beach Chris, Jason and Rick ran into Worlds smallest St. Patricks Day Parade. It is a very short annual parade through Cruz Bay and a block party draped in green. The parade starts at the tennis courts in town and winds through the streets of Cruz Bay. We’re guessing 200 yards. What it lacks in length it makes up for in fun. The parade ends at the Quiet Mon Pub where the traditional Irish favorites are served.

After a few Jameson shots the band made it to Cinnamon Bay Beach. It was wonderful day to be together on the beach. The trip has been a whirlwind and it was so nice to slow down for one day.

Who is photo bombing who?

Jason walks on water!

We went back to Casa de Jaguar to have one of Executive Chef Rick’s famous gourmet dinners. The view, the family, the food… It was another special moment of many on this trip.

Executive Mixologist Jason also invented his new drink “The Homewrecker”. It will make you see double and make you feel single! Something about the USVI is very inspiring. I’ll drink to that!

Two Saints

Saint Patrick’s day on St. John.
Two Saints.
What could be better?
How about Nothing.

Chris and I have very fond memories of playing St. Patrick’s Day at the World Headquarters on St. John with Jaguar in 1989. We knew today was going to be special. We could not wait to start the St. Patrick’s Day 2023 story.

We woke up to a beautiful breezy Caribbean morning. I got a text from Pricilla Lynn (Street Level VI). She said we were in the Virgin Island Daily Newspaper. And the good news was we were not in the Crime section or the Obituary. Thank you, Jesus! We had an article in the Entertainment section about our upcoming show on Sunday at the Sapphire Beach Bar.

Any press is good press and this really good press.

Debra and I decided that today would be a great day to do some souvenir shopping. We headed to Mongoose Junction. Chris, Jason and Rick joined us later. Jaguar and Mongoose Junction has a history with Jaguar so we thought while we were all together…. it was time for another band photo.

Debra and I then headed back to Casa de Jaguar and the rest of the band headed to Hawksnest Beach because….. well because they could. It has become the go to beach this trip for Jaguar.

We got to the World Famous Beach Bar early. We wanted to get set up and be prepared for a special evening. Wow! This one truly exceeded all expectations. The Beach Bar was jumping from the first song and it continued all night long.

Tonight we had very competitive limbo contest. It came down to 2 final contestants. We had to pick one winner. In the end we will say they both won and so did everyone at the Beach Bar. Crazy fun!

We had a few special local VIP Guests including:

  • Susan Kinder

  • Amy Wagner

  • Paul Perkins

  • Franca Tantillo

A big Jaguar shout out to the local legends Alexandra and C.T. Fields of Willow Hill for stopping by to say hello. It was great to meet you in person. We are big fans.

Jaguar will never forget our second St. Patrick’s day on St. John. It was every bit as special as the first one. March 17, 2023 was one of the best nights the band has ever had. You rarely get a do over in life. Jaguar got one tonight and it was spectacular.

Thank you St. John!
Thank you St. Patrick!

The Island Life

After a long second night Jason and Rick decided to sleep in. Debra, Chris and I checked our calendar and we all had the same thing on our schedule…. GO TO THE BEACH! What a coincidence. Um… how about Hawksnest? So we loaded up the car and drove to the Jaguar 2023 beach of choice.

Hawksnest did not disappoint. The beaches on St. John have never disappointed us ever. We can see why people from all over the world travel to this tiny island to see them. We also realize how lucky we are to be here.

We got back to the Casa de Jaguar and got prepared for our third night at the World Famous Beach Bar. It was crazy fun.

Every night the band sounds better than the night before. We are settling in. We are proud that Jaguar is a great rock band. We can bring the party to the beach. People come back to see us night after night and bring their friends. This is how Jaguar started in 1989. This is how Jaguar remains in 2023.

This is why Jaguar only plays the Caribbean. The band does not exist anywhere else. It is has to be special when we perform. It has to the best time we have ever had in our lives. It always is.

After meeting Walter and Becky from Everlong Excursions last Sunday, they said they would come see Jaguar play Thursday night. Walter has not seen us play since 2020 and Becky had only seen us on our YouTube channel. Walter told Becky we were pretty good so the pressure was on us to be pretty good. They even brought a couple of close friends David Maugrion and Robin Ballard. It was David’s birthday, and they came to celebrate. Also, Becky thought she would get a preview of what to expect since we would be playing on her birthday, Sunday.

Walter and Becky said we did awesome. Rick dedicated Everlong to the power couple during his acoustic set. Jaguar dedicated a rare performance of Good Times Bad Times to them as well. We cannot wait to see them Sunday. They are really great people and have become part of the Jaguar story. Everyday we get to meet new people and do cool things. This is the island life!

Love for Love City

Today was a day of rest and relaxation at the Casa de Jaguar. After our first night at the Beach Bar we all decided it was good day to take it easy and enjoy the spectacular view. It was a great day to chillax.

Chris and Jason soon decided they desperately needed to see a beach so they picked Hawksnest. This beach was the closest to Casa de Jaguar. When we are in the USVI we are always thinking about the beach. There is an internal clock that is constantly ticking down the minutes until your next beach time.

Since we only get together to perform in the USVI, our second nights are always way better than our first. It seems unavoidable. We approach the first night as our soft opening. I think it has to do with our desire to do a great show right out of the gate. There is the also the factor of not playing together for many months. It also takes awhile to “dial in the sound”. All the stress disappears when we hit the stage on night two. We then sound like Jaguar.

We had a great second night. We are so happy to spending the next few nights at the World Famous Beach Bar. How cool is it to play in a bar on the beach in the Caribbean? Way cool! We never take it for granted. We love everything about the experience. The staff, the food, the atmosphere, the locals and the vacationeers….. The World Famous Beach Bar never disappoints. Reed and Sherry have done an amazing job. It is their enthusiasm for live music that allows us to spend the best week of our lives in Love City.

A big thank you to the locals that came out and partied with us. The list includes:

  • Priscilla Lynn of Street Level VI

  • Drew Rock (aka Andrew Clark)

  • Denise Warren
    (tonight’s limbo contest winner)

  • Timothy Thomas O'Bymachow

  • Dennis Roderick

  • Jeff Darman

  • Erin Lieb
    (Graduate of Joppatowne High School)

  • Raleigh Strobel (our previous landlord)

High School Reunions

Debra, Rick, and I got up early had breakfast and headed out to Trunk Bay. It is the premiere beach on the north side of St. John. When we arrived we found out the swimming and snorkeling was prohibited due to the swells.

Yes, the waves were big and the current unusually strong but the beach was stunning as usual. And there were parking spots available!

Jason and Chris joined us a few hours later, and we took the yearly band photo with a beautiful Caribbean back drop. How cool is that?

No CGI was used in this photograph

After lunch we headed back to Casa de Jaguar to prepare for our first show. Ok, well maybe not our first show ever, but our first show this year. It’s really cool that Jaguar only gets together to play the US Virgin Islands. It sometimes makes for an interesting first night.

We made it to the Beach Bar early so we could eat dinner and set up early. Just trying to prepare for the unexpected. And as expected….. well, things take a little longer on the first night.

It always taste better with The Beach Bar logo on the cup!

That being said…. Jaguar had a wonderful adventurous first night. It was great to see our friends especially Priscilla Lynn of Street Level VI who has been a huge part of the Jaguar story. We can’t thank her enough for her support and perseverance.

Nice hat, Rick…. Nice hat!

Big fat shout out to Mahnin' Super Mike, Paul Perkins, Susan Kinder, and Dave of Grove Thang for stopping by. You guys are the best!! There is even a rumor that the STJ performing artists Chasing Hues (Anysia & Scott Hutchens) were in the house.

Another celebrity sighting at the World Famous Beach Bar!

Between sets, someone pointed to Jason and asked me, “What’s his name?” I answered, “Jason”. “Jason Heiser,” she asked? “Yes,” I said. Jason turned toward us. She said, “Jason?” and Jason said, “Erin?” Turns out Erin Lieb and Jason Heiser went to Joppatowne High School together and haven’t seen each other since. Erin now lives on St. John and had no idea Jason was playing when she stopped in the Beach Bar. Thousands of miles away and many years later, on this tiny island in the Caribbean they meet again. This has never happen before in the history of Jaguar. Really cool moment for Jason. Really cool moment for Jaguar.

Erin Lieb and Jason Heiser - graduates of Joppatowne High School

Oh My God Becky!

We packed up early and headed to the grocery store for some provisions before heading over to St. John. Chris, Jason and Rick were scheduled to land in St. Thomas around noon. Debra and I were hoping to get into the rental early and get everything setup before Jaguar arrived.

We caught the 10:30 AM car ferry and met Kristin Cox of St. John Ultimate Villas at the Starfish market. I have spoken to Kristen many times by phone while arranging our trip and it was wonderful to finally meet her. And wouldn’t you know it…. she is even nicer in person. We followed her up to Sugar Bird Villa (the house we rented for the week) now renamed Casa de Jaguar.

Oh my God Becky…. Look at that view!

Casa de Jaguar is located just above Cruz Bay. It has a view of Cruz Bay, St. Thomas and everything in between. I was not prepared for how extraordinary the view would be. We will be reminded every moment of the beauty of where we are. We have a week of living lifestyles of the rich and famous.

After a few detours the band made it to St. John at 4:30 PM. We came back to Casa de Jaguar and I showed them what their life was going to look like for the next week. Amazing! Rick cooked his first amazing dinner for the trip, and we had a band practice to go over some of the new songs we added to the set. These guys were exhausted but they pushed through it.

It was a great day to be back together as a band in the U.S. Virgin Islands!

Meet New People Do Cool Things

I recently saw an instagram post from Mathew McConaughey. He asked his son what he wanted to get from (summer) camp? His son said “I just want to meet new people and do cool things.” I thought what a wonderful way to go through life….

So here we are on a 30 square mile island in the Caribbean ocean spending the day with people we have never met doing cool things. Walter and Becky of Everlong Excursions reached out to me a couple of weeks ago and asked if they could take Deb and I on a VIP Jeep tour around St. Thomas. They specialize in taking guests to beaches on the island where very few people go. Off roading and 4 wheeling is their tickets to paradise.

Walter and Becky (aka as Walter Becker) of Everlong Excursions at Abi Beach.

We started the day at Abi Beach. It was completely secluded. Just beautiful. This was followed by Brewers Bay for some snorkeling with the turtles. A quick stop at Charlotte Amalie and we were off to Stump Bay. Wow! Even with our many trips to St. Thomas, we were seeing parts of the island we never knew existed. The sights were stunning. We learned so much about St. Thomas. Walter and Becky have done their homework. The enthusiasm they have for their island life is what made the trip something we will never forget.

Walter and Debra at Brewers Bay.

We went to The Shack at Hull Bay for lunch. Don’t let the name fool you. The food was outstanding. It was wonderful spending time with Walter and Becky. We heard the backstory of how the four of us wound up together at that place, at that moment.

Walter and Debra at Stumpy Bay

The rest of the tour was a blur. One breathtaking sight after another. One wow after another. One laugh after another. We now understand what it means to be a part of the Everlong family. Thank you Walter and Becky for allowing us to meet new people and do cool things.

Becky and Debra celebrating their birthday month.

The Journey Continues

Debra and I like to start the trip a few days early. We love to get our sandals on the ground and enjoy the calm that comes before the storm. We made the trip from Las Vegas with our usual overnight in Miami. It was smooth sailing from start to finish. We landed in St. Thomas by noon. Debra was thrilled to see the Cruzan Rum shots waiting for her at the welcome center as she entered the airport. This tradition has finally returned post CoVid. She said she got welcomed 3 times!

We made a quick stop to Dependable Car Rental and then it was onto Renaissance Jewelers. Debra has now made it a tradition to see how big a smile Adrian can put on her face, This year Adrian broke the record.

Adrian knows how to make my wife sparkle.

It has been such a wonderful experiance dealing with Adrian Panjabi and his staff these past 2 years. He and his team have unofficially become Jaguar’s official jeweler. Big shout out to my wife doing her part to stimulate the local economy, Well done honey…. well done!

After Adrian was finished designing the perfect ring for Debra we immediately walked to Side Street Pub. They have the BEST Fish Tacos we have EVER tasted. E.V.E.R! This is now on our must do list when visiting St. Thomas. Debra also had her first Painkiller of the trip. A Painkiller is the world famous Pineapple, Coconut and Rum flavored local drink. It is definitively the taste of the United States Virgin Islands.

Debra’s 1st Painkiller. The over / under this trip 48.

For the next few days we will be staying at Sapphire Beach. It is a spectacular beach on the east-side of the island. It is better than we remembered… and we were just here last summer. Rarely is there truth in advertising but the water is a wonderful shade of sapphire blue. It takes our breath away every time we see it.

The long walk from Las Vegas to Sapphire Beach….

We ended the evening with a late dinner at the new Sea Salt restaurant. We asked Priscilla Lynn of Street Level VI (better known as Jaguar’s Carribean Tour Manager) and Paul Perkins to join us. Great view, great food, great people, great conversation, a great way to end our first day of our tour. A great first day that will hard to top tomorrow. But we know you can do it St. Thomas. In over 30 years your are undefeated.