RIP Jimmy Buffett

[mistercharlie]

Not the biggest Parrot-head, but I did have a great time at a Buffet show or two. Rest easy, old pirate.

[PIE-GUY]

[PIE-GUY]

Nice. 

[Buffalo Budd]

Yeah, this is one that I feel affects a lot of people as we all know a Parrot-head or 2.
My dad just got me to play 'Pirate Looks at 40' while we were visiting in BC.
Rest easy Jimmy.

[sls.stormyrider]

Buffet shows were a lot of fun. He made people smile.
RIP

[sunrisevt]

I never saw him live.

But the one time I went to Bonnaroo, back in 2004, I remember there was a big group camped near us, who had the festival scene fucking *dialed*in*

I'm talking ace shade tents, hammocks & comfy chairs, blenders making frozen drinks--these people were straight varsity tailgaters.

I remarked to my wife on their style as we walked by, and she deadpanned me, "They've done Buffet dozens pf times. Bet on it."

I see no reason to doubt that assessment.

[sls.stormyrider]

^^
agreed
I was showing a friends some pics I took at a Buffet show lot almost 20 years ago. The amount of effort, expense, and creativity (and fun) was pretty amazing

[pcr3]

I grew up listening to Buffett on road trips with my mom, so I could recite many songs' lyrics verbatim without even having listened to them for decades.  In that way, I suppose his music is ingrained in my soul to some degree.

I had heard his concerts were a ton of fun, but had never gone until my mother asked if I'd be her designated driver to a show she had a good ticket to (at the Pavilion in Camden, NJ).  She offered to buy me a lawn seat so I could attend, and I figured I'd just climb all the way up the lawn and observe for the evening.  I had graduated college and lived at home for a year before returning to the Boston area, so I didn't have much going on and I ended up going and enjoying myself.

That part of the story is not why I'm writing this little essay.  That night I learned a bit about myself and where I came from.  You see, my mom had a pint of vodka she wanted to smuggle in.  I watched her get to the pat through and get busted for the vodka.  Instead of giving it up and just going in, she got out of line, came back to me, and proceeded to chug most of the bottle before handing it to me and getting back in line.  I finished the last swig and laughed for about 5 minutes before heading toward the lawn entrance.

That moment explained a lot about me.  Thanks for reading, and RIP Jimmy.

[shoreline99]

I've been to my share of Buffett shows over the years (looking at you, Great Woods and Jones Beach), and the die hard touring parrotheads are some of the most amazingly professional alcoholics that I've ever met. Lots of white powder as well.

Ostentatiously partying, which is the difference from Phish or Dead lot - the latter striving to be more bohemian. Similar vibes though. It's definitely like Nascar or SEC football meets the music scene. I saw a group of people with a dump truck full of sand and a backhoe build a beach at the Great Woods lot one year.

Great story, PCR.

[Buffalo Budd]

PCR, that is awesome and one my surf partners told me a story about the beach sand at GW.
The amount of boobs ones could witness in the lot of a Buffett show was something to behold as well I'm told.

[PIE-GUY]

My Buffett story is sort of similar. Four of us had tickets to go see him at Garden State Arts Center in the summer of 91. I was the only one of the four old enough to drive, so we were in my Volvo station wagon. We brought enough liquor to supply a high school party of 20 and we did a pretty good job of putting all back in the lot preshow.

As we got to the gates they tore our tickets and turned us right around because we were so obviously drunk they just were not going to let us in. We went back to my car and tried to hang out for a while to sober up for the drive home, but we got hassled by the cops saying we had to either leave or go into the show. No loitering in the lots once the show started.

Scared of getting arrested we literally ducked down and hid in my car for about an hour before I decided to drive home. How we made it home without crashing I really don't know.

I know I missed an exit and we circled through the terminals at Newark airport before getting back on the right highway home.

My friend sarah, the youngest of us, puked out the window of the car the whole ride home. Once home, she woke up her parents and raved about how great the show was. She smelled like a fucking frat house and all the parents were notified of the situation by 8am the next day. I was grounded for a month.

I finally saw Buffett later in life... actually a couple of times at Jazzfest. Good times!