Buffett takes fans on a musical beach odyssey

  Margaritaville Records Jimmy Buffett and
the Coral Reefers satisfied thousands of "Parrot Heads" and other
fans who attended their show Thursday night.

By David Holmberg
Daily Bruin Staff

Parrot Heads rejoice, for the Church of Jimmy Buffett is now in
session.

It is time to dust off the musical blender, then proceed to
follow this recipe carefully: mix two parts island flavor, three
cups alcohol, one tablespoon of Hawaiian shirts, a handful of
drunken middle-aged fun-seekers and a dash of musical talent. Blend
with ice, serve liberally and consume heartily.

If any of this is unknown information, then you have probably
never been to a Jimmy Buffett concert ““ or more accurately, a
Jimmy Buffett experience. Parrot Heads, the equivalent of the
Grateful Dead die-hard “Dead Heads,” are the devoted
members of the community who fully embrace the laid back tropical
lifestyle that Buffett has so keenly sold to the public since the
early 1970s. Perhaps they hold normal office jobs most of the year,
but the annual Buffett event turns them into hard-partying,
Hawaiian-dancing fun lovers.

There were of course the isolated few who came to the show
Thursday night simply because of their love of his music, but by
and large the crowd was an amalgamation of young and old folk who
were there for a good time ““ and they did not leave
disappointed.

As integral to a Buffett show as the concert itself is the
ubiquitous tailgate party. The smell of hamburgers, sunscreen and
alcohol permeated the air and when tossed with a few thousand leis
and Hawaiian shirts, the result was inevitable: fun, lots of
drunken fun.

When the time neared for Buffett to take the stage, inebriated
fans made their final pilgrimage from the parking lot to the
sprawling lawns of Coors Amphitheatre in Chula Vista, Calif.

Inside, the carnival-style event erupted as the show began with
a heavy conga beat inspiring dancers on stilts to step through the
crowd, launching T-shirts into the screaming audience. The party
had begun.

Each year Buffett chooses a different theme for his
performances. This time, a huge curtain hung across the stage with
the words “2001: A Beach Odyssey” revealing the journey
Buffett was about to take the audience on. Several
“cavemen” reenacted the initial scenes of Stanley
Kubrick’s film, “2001: A Space Odyssey,” but
instead of discovering a black monolith, these lucky prehistoric
dancers found something better ““ a beach party!

And with that, Buffett launched into nearly three hours of
festivities.

Buffett is not the best singer, nor is he an outrageously good
guitar player, but he knows how to entertain. The shoeless,
Hawaiian shirt-wearing Buffett was keenly aware of his audience
was, and knew they were there to party as much as to see him. Jokes
about visits to Humboldt County and the subsequent overwhelming
hunger, as well as the difficulty of trying to find the car while
stumbling drunk, revealed his own understanding of the Buffett
experience.

Clearly aware of the Parrot Heads’ importance to the
experience, Buffett dedicated “Come Monday” to them
with a video of the parking lot extravaganza earlier in the day,
which featured clips of shirtless fat men dancing, dogs with leis,
limbo contests and of course several women flashing their breasts.
There is the feeling that Buffett comes to the shows as much to see
his fans and they do to see him.

A Buffett show is an event of monumental proportions, and he
uses every resource available. The two large screens flanking the
stage were used to display films of him sailing and flying, as well
as skits revolving around the “2001: A Beach Odyssey”
theme. He also had two female dancers onstage with continual
costume variations, ranging from hula skirts to skin-tight red
shark outfits. To top it off, a dancer in a huge cow outfit danced
about the stage during the requisite song, “Cheeseburger in
Paradise.”

Backing Buffett was his Caribbean-clad and skilled band, The
Coral Reefers. Long-time band members included the talented Michael
Utley on keyboard, Robert Greendige on steel drums, Jim Mayer on
guitar and Peter Mayer on bass. A more recent and well-used
addition was Amy Lee, whose saxophone added a lively jazz spin to
the otherwise Island-flavored mix.

Notably absent was Buffett’s long-time harmonica player,
Greg “Fingers” Taylor. One of the best harp players in
the country, Taylor’s energetic and frenzied solos were
missed due to his own tour. The defining harmonica wail on
Buffett’s classic “A Pirate Looks At Forty” was
nowhere to be found, which was even sadder than song’s
melancholy lyrics.

Always amusing is Buffett’s reworking of various song
lyrics to bring relevance to the time or location of the concert.
Speaking about various political happenings or California hot-spots
gave the concert significant contemporary meaning. Ironically, many
of Buffett’s classic songs make somewhat derogatory comments
toward California in general, despite his large Parrot Head
following in the state. So Buffet had to alter some of his lyrics
to appeal to his Californian fans.

Buffett’s popular “Margaritaville” was a
fitting conclusion to the show. Although a fictitious place,
Buffett’s imaginary world where there is “booze in the
blender” metaphorically is embodied in his concerts, creating
the island paradise that night for the thousands of refugees from
reality.

There was no question as to whether the audience was in good
hands. After 28 years of touring every summer, the 54-year-old
Buffett is as skilled a professional performer as any in the
business and clearly knew what he was doing.

At one point he half-jokingly said, “I think I’m
about to lose control of the show,” but ironically, it was
that moment that he demonstrated the most command and, with a few
sway-inducing numbers such as “Southern Cross” and
“Desperation Samba,” he brought the concert to a grand
conclusion.

For the thousands at Coors Amphitheatre Thursday night, summer
came a little early. Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefers put on
another performance of pure and effective escapism, leaving even
the sober with a pleasant high. While this session is over, next
summer will undoubtedly show Buffett at it again, inspiring
thousands to forget about reality for a few hours and instead take
some time to waste away again in the not so metaphorical
Margaritaville.