I am three weeks late on this review, and that is unacceptable. My apologies there. But if you look back to April 19th, the legendary Jimmy Buffett, made his annual appearance in Tampa.
I went to this show with a friend of mine and his parents, who are certified "parrotheads." Now I have a decent amount of tailgating experience in my career, but I haven't seen anything before like a Jimmy Buffett tailgate. I arrived at the venue at 11AM and there were already thousands of people pre-gaming. Some built beaches and tiki huts. It was just one big party that went on all day!
The band took the stage just after 8pm to the sound of multiple conch shells. After nine hours of tailgating, things actually seemed to settle down and relax a bit once the music started. The 67 year old Buffett moved pretty well for a frail looking older man. He ended up playing well over two hours, hitting 27 different songs.
Buffett was backed by the large, Coral Reefer Band. They contained everything from a horn section to hula dancers and steel drums, adding variety to the classic Buffett tropical rhythms.
Throughout the evening Buffett displayed some new material off his most recent album, Songs from St. Somewhere. He mixed these in well with his fan favorites, which were mainly written 20 - 30 years prior. The audience was filled with classic "Parrotheads," who have probably seen Buffett perform multiple times. But all fans still greeted the opening chords of the popular tunes with extreme joy, as if they had never been played live before.
Highlights for myself was a slower "Come Monday," "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" and of course, the inevitable closer, "Margaritaville." Poor Jimmy must be so tired of playing that by now, but he delivered and kept the crowd dancing.
About halfway through the set, Buffett was joined with a few members of the Coral Reefer Band at center stage to perform a collection of songs acoustically. This section of the show, which included "A Pirate Looks at Forty," set a great vibe in the Amphitheater. The barefooted Buffett and his friends sang about beaches and boats, making the crowd feel like everyone was away on vacation.
Overall, one of the concert highlights was simply the crowd. You had fans of all ages in attendance, and everyone was jamming. I don't think anyone sat down in the lawn all night. The audience sang and danced along, really creating an excellent atmosphere.
My recommendation for next time Buffett comes around, it's an experience worth attending. This is the type of show that's more than just the concert and songs played. It's about the tailgate, the drinking, and the people. Fun Saturday for sure!
Concert Rating: 3.5 Stars
SETLIST:
1. Kinja
2. Landfall
3. Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison Cover)
4. Boat Drinks
5. Weather With You (Crowded House Cover)
6. Pencil Thin Mustache
7. It's 5 O'clock Somewhere (Alan Jackson Cover)
8. Son of a Son of a Sailor
9. Rhumba Man (Jesse Winchester Cover)
10. Come Monday
11. Too Drunk to Karaoke
12. Cheeseburger in Paradise
13. Cultural Infidel
14. Piece of Work (Will Kimbrough Cover)
15. Somethin' Bout a Boat
16. Southern Cross (Crosby, Stills & Nash Cover)
17. Volcano
18. Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
19. A Pirate Looks at Forty
20. Back Where I Come From (Mac McAnally Cover)
21. One Particular Harbour
22. All Night Long (Lionel Richie Cover)
23. Fins
24. Margaritaville
ENCORE:
25. We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us About
26. Knee Deep (Zac Brown Band Cover)
ENCORE 2:
27. Defying Gravity (Jesse Winchester Cover)
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