Irvine Meadows Amphitheater THE “I DON’T KNOW” JIMMY BUFFETT TOUR 2016

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Michael Hepworth

WHERE IS “MARGARITAVILLE?” WHY IT’S IN THE “TRAVELLING BOAT” AT IRVINE MEADOWS!

THE “I DON’T KNOW” JIMMY BUFFETT TOUR 2016

By Michael Cohan

Irvine, CA (Perfect Music Today) 11/2/16/ – The Captain of “Caribbean Boat Music” Jimmy Buffett docked himself and his Coral Reefer Band landing at Irvine Meadows Amphitheater on October 22, 2016 to say their final goodbyes to this iconic venue. Jimmy iterated his thoughts at the very beginning voicing his sentiments about the closing of this Orange County landmark. He mentioned his tours have been dropping in here for 23 years and a whopping 35 shows! They have proved over and over that they are one of the hardest working bands in Rock & Roll. He let us know that he’ll be back next year to continue his legacy of rocking Orange County where ever that will be. But enough with the formalities let’s get on with “The Show!”

Of course a review of a “Parrothead” concert always starts in the parking lot! I packed the necessary accompaniments for a complete preamble leading up to the main event later on in the evening. Assembled was a 6-pack of “Landshark” American Adjunct beer, an island style lager produced by none other than Buffett’s Margaritaville Brewing Company. Consequently for about a year Jimmy owned the naming rights to the home of the Miami Dolphins consequently called Landshark Stadium. Had to bring some tequila to go with the beer! Naturally I drank some and shared some. Also in my arsenal was a 40 year old boat chair so I could enjoy kicking back soaking up everything Buffett! One group of happy and excited Parrotheads were even singing “Born in USA” and the “National Anthem” priming them, myself, and the crowd for what was about to take place!

By the way, does anyone out there know how his fans got this name!? Well I’ll tell you at one of Jimmy’s shows he remarked how everyone wore Hawaiian shirts and parrot hats and how they kept coming back to see his shows, just like the Deadheads! Timothy B. Schmit, now with the Eagles was a member of the Coral Reefer band in the 80’s and coined the term “Parrothead” to describe their rabid fans!

Well, it’s around 7 o’clock and time to mosey in “the line” to get in for the third to the last show on this magnificent night, the last time Jimmy Buffett and his band will enjoy rocking their Caribbean soul music at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre. While strolling in line I began recording and talking to the fans. How long has the line been here I asked this drunk pretty gal, an hour so far and longer. Believe me, half the people were going in and half still out getting their Parrothead tailgating on one last time! One couple who were married the guy mentions his wife hates it when he dates and she the same about him. They were happy to be recorded and participate in all the Parrothead shenanigans going, the wife said she liked that word!

Everyone was sad about the closing. I informed them that the owners, LiveNation, are moving the stage next to the Great Park in Irvine for the start of the concert series in 2017. Temporarily, it is expected to be a 12,000 seat venue. They just have to pass a few city ordinances and voila! LiveNation plans in the next three years to solidify permanent plans as they are committed in bringing “Outdoor Music Under The Stars” to Orange County once again! Raising my already rollicking voice a little so people around could hear me say that it will be bigger, stronger, rockier, and definitely be full of Parrotheads next year! Thanks LiveNation!

Jimmy and Company created an ambience of a “club” setting by utilizing the two jumbotron screens on either side of them showing the band on the stage and the huge backdrop screen with snipits of beaches, famous street corners, lounging, and everything Buffett! His catalogue of songs are extensive so wondering what he would play and what he would begin with were important to me and this years’ Parrotheads so let’s discover what Jimmy and the Reefers have prepared for us.

The set list tonight has been performed since 2010 through to the present 2016 “I Don’t Know” tour. This celebratory evening incorporated a “Big 11” of many of his songs and expansion of the “Big 8” he used to perform before 2003. Those standards were Margaritaville, Come Monday, Fins, Volcano, A Pirate Looks at 40, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Why Don’t we get Drunk – which was only played occasionally after 2007, and Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.

Since Why Don’t we get Drunk was dropped from the standards list, there are only 9 songs played at almost every show recently. However, the band never referred to the “Big 9” for the new line-up. Other notable add-ons that are played at almost every show could be dropped sometimes. That would include Son of a Son of a Sailor, Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl, and Crosby, Stills, & Nash “Southern Cross.” However, these three tracks could all be eliminated from the set list because they aren’t considered standards.

But in an interview on KLBJ radio in Austin during the 2013 tour he humorously referred to the issue that they must “play the 10 songs that everyone wants or they’ll be killed!” This night they did everything and then more spreading 26 tracks spread over a two hour and 10 minute concert. The band was set to hit the stage at 8 pm and have an intermission to go to 11. Hardly anyone had gotten to their seats at 8 so they waited until 830 and played to 1040 with no intermission!

They opened with a wonderful rendition of “Summerzcool” from the Buffett Hotel album of 2009 followed by the ever popular cover “Brown Eyed Girl” (Van Morrison) from 1 Particular Harbor, 1993. They performed “Knees of my Heart” from the Riddles of the Sand album from 1984 that Ian Hunter sang on his album Rant from 2001. They dug out “Grapefruit” from the 1973 album A White Sport Coat & a Pink Crustacean. “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere” actually became a hit as a duet with Alan Jackson. Obviously, if you know Buffett music this is the first drink at happy hour where ever you may be in the world it’s gotta be 5 pm somewhere!

More catalogue favorites followed. “Fins” is a catchy tune about the sharks swimming all around you and watcha gonna do so its “fins to the left, fins to the right, you’re the only babe in town.” Obviously this is about the guys circling around to score! At concerts the crowd would dance with their hands clasped together like the fin of a shark moving their hands from the left to the right. You had to be there to enjoy the fun!

They included their remake of a Grateful Dead song “Uncle John’s Band” from the album Fruitcakes from 1994 and then slipped right into Spicolli’s “I Don’t Know & I Don’t Care” from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The band wrote the film’s theme song, how about that? I just love researching and writing reviews because I always learn a lot of new things about each artist. More past favorites included standards such as “Cheeseburger in Paradise” from 1978’s Son of a Son of a Sailor album and from A1A in 1974 “A Pirate Looks At 40.” They did include their remake of the Crosby, Stills, and Nash song “Southern Cross.” This track debuted on the 1999 Buffett Live: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. It became a hit for the band and has become a staple at most of his shows. Finishing out the 23 song pre-encore extravaganza was the title track of the 1979 album “Volcano.” One of the most known phrases of his lyrics is when Jimmy sings, “I don’t know where I’m a gonna go when the Volcano blows!” Another famous quote is “If we weren’t crazy we’d all go insane!” from “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” but we all better laugh first!

The encore added three more songs to the festivities. “One Particular Harbor” was the first of the encores. This is the title track to the album of the same name dating to 1983. Also on this was “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison. Omitted from the concert was one of my favorites “Why Don’t We Get Drunk” but I guess Jimmy can’t play them all.

This was only my second time attending a Buffett concert and the vibes of the Parrotheads will just encompass you satisfying your thirst for that trip to “Margaritaville.” Jimmy penned the name of this tour when he was asked this question by the Today show host this past July. He has quipped many times about “I Don’t Know” so hence his 2016 romp across America began. Huge question marks were dotted around the stage to represent the bands’ mindset.

“Margaritaville” was definitely inspired by the margarita cocktail. The song actually was supposed to be recorded by Elvis Presley but we all know what happened to him at the age of 42. The same year the King died Jimmy and his band went into the studio and recorded it. It has been his fans favorite song since he has performed it more than any other song in his repertoire. Jimmy defines Margaritaville as a drunken haze influenced by the breakup of his girlfriend so he drowns himself for an entire season at a beach resort drinking margaritas! But remember Margaritaville is not just a destination but a state of mind! Let’s all escape to find our own Margaritaville! It was definitely here in Orange County and anywhere you want it to be!

Michael Hepworth

287 S.Robertson Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211