STEVE REID
Editor & Publisher
sreid@lbknews.com
For fans of American reggae, the name Stick Figure is synonymous with a movement.
They are the band that redefined the genre, selling out amphitheaters like Red Rocks and consistently topping the charts. Usually, seeing them requires a ticket to a massive festival and a view from the back of a stadium.
But this January, the “Stick Family” on the Sun Coast is getting a rare, face-to-face opportunity right in their own backyard.
Kevin Offitzer, the 37-year-old rhythmic anchor of the chart-topping juggernaut, will host a special two-day pop-up meet-and-greet at the
Cirque St. Armands Beachside Hotel on January 14 and 15, 2026.
While the event offers a chance to shake hands with a world-class musician, it also serves as a welcome party. Offitzer has quietly traded the Pacific swells for the Gulf Coast, moving to Sarasota full-time with his wife and three young children.
The Kings of American Reggae
To understand the significance of Offitzer’s arrival, one must understand the sheer dominance of Stick Figure. What began as frontman Scott Woodruff’s solo DIY recording project has exploded into the undisputed heavyweight champion of the American reggae-rock scene.
For years, the Billboard Reggae Albums chart was immovable, ruled perpetually by the legend himself, Bob Marley. Stick Figure changed the math. They became the only artist to effectively unseat the King, logging historic runs at No. 1 that have turned the industry on its head.
“When we topped the Billboard charts, it was the most amazing, coolest event,” Offitzer recalls. “The charts have always been ruled by Bob Marley. To be the artist to unseat the legend is surreal.”
Today, Stick Figure is a touring leviathan, commanding a fanatically loyal fanbase that sells out major venues worldwide. Offitzer, who joined in 2012 as the first permanent live member, has been the engine behind this rise, traveling everywhere from Europe and South America to Alaska and Hawaii to bring the music to the masses.
Chasing the Sun to Sarasota
Offitzer’s journey to Sarasota was driven by a simple, non-negotiable need: light. Originally from California, Offitzer and his wife—a Maryland native—initially settled in her home state.
“I needed sunshine. I’m from California,” Offitzer explained. While his wife’s parents had long frequented Sarasota, the drummer didn’t need to “discover” the city so much as surrender to it. Once he visited, he fell in love.
Now, the Offitzer family—including kids aged seven, five, and 15 months—are local fixtures. When not on tour, they can often be found taking “barefoot hikes” through the scrub at Oscar Scherer State Park, embracing a lifestyle that mirrors the “Sun Soaked” vibes of the music.
From “Rambunctious” Kid to the Big Leagues
Offitzer’s path to the global stage began at age nine, when he became obsessed with the drums. Growing up in Southern California, he describes himself as a “hybrid of discipline and rambunctiousness”.
He had a massive advantage at home: his father was a bass player.
“In many ways, he’s the equivalent of a baseball dad, and I’m the kid who made it into the big leagues,” Offitzer said. His parents were endlessly supportive, providing a home large enough for a dedicated music room where he could hone the skills that would eventually take him around the world.
“The drum is the heart,” Offitzer says. “Historically, it is the basis of music.”
The Art of Restraint (and Speed)
While Stick Figure requires Offitzer to exercise “restraint and leaving space” within the deep pocket of reggae, the drummer hasn’t lost his roots in punk and metal.
“I started off playing as fast as I could play,” he admits. To satisfy that need for speed, he is also a member of Algorithm, a three-person group (plus their manager, whom he calls the “fourth member”) that specializes in high-energy festival after-parties. It is there that he unleashes the full, rapid-fire arsenal of his drumming.
But whether playing fast or slow, his focus remains the same: the crowd. “All I ever wanted to do was be in a band on tour,” he said. “I wanted to see the world.”
Building a Local Music Community
One of the primary reasons Offitzer left Maryland for Sarasota was the search for a vibrant musical ecosystem. “There was really a lacking access to a music community there,” he noted.
In Sarasota, he has found the opposite. He says the local scene is “great,” and he has wasted no time diving in, playing gigs everywhere from Fort Myers to Anna Maria Island. Whether on a world tour or at home, he is also dedicated to the next generation, giving countless music lessons both online and in person.
Event Details: Up Close & Personal
Hosted at the hotel’s retro-chic Midway Lounge, this rare appearance is strictly a meet-and-greet engagement—a chance to talk music, get an autograph, and meet the man behind the kit without the barrier of a stage.
• Dates: Wednesday, Jan. 14 & Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026
• Time: 4:00 PM EST
• Location: Cirque St. Armands Beachside (233 Benjamin Franklin Dr, Lido Key)
• Activities: Meet-and-greet, photo ops, and drumstick signing.
To learn more about Kevin’s latest art projects, tour updates, and local adventures, you can follow him on Instagram at @koffitzer.
