RSS Feed
Jul 28
Jul 27
The Knowland Group has released a survey: “Jimmy Buffett Benefit Concert Paradise for Hoteliers and Tourists”
The Knowland Group™, the world’s largest data firm in the global meetings and conventions industry, today released a survey on the effects of the Jimmy Buffett Gulf Coast Benefit Concert on the local hospitality industry. The survey, conducted two weeks after the concert was completed, found many hotels within 75 miles of Gulf Shores, AL were booked, but future reservations failed to materialize.
Specifically, of the hotels surveyed, 49% reported that more than half of their guests who stayed at their hotel attended the concert. In addition, 45% of responding hotels stated that less than half of their guests attended the concert. Of those concert attendees, 41% stayed one night and 53% stayed two nights; making up for the evaporation of the usual weekend vacationers following the oil spill.
“I saw people in line at the bars and the souvenir shops,” stated an Orange Beach, AL hotelier. “This concert was the greatest thing we [sic] ever had in our area.”
The increase in room bookings was welcomed by the surveyed hoteliers, with 89% claiming the event was very helpful to their business and 11% stating it was somewhat helpful. None of the survey’s respondents stated that the concert had any ill effect.
“I even had a waiting list for my hotel and I can’t remember the last time that happened,” noted one Gulf Shores hotelier.
Jul 27
From HIGH-DEF DISC News: “Jimmy Buffett Performs On the World’s Largest Mobile LED Screen”
Fans enjoyed a somewhat impromptu performance with one impressive view.
Even if you don’t like Jimmy Buffett, there’s something wonderful about watching anything on a 33 foot truck-mounted LED screen. It’s one of those things you just don’t get to do every day.
BSUN Media Systems was the group in charge of setting up the simulcast for Jimmy Buffett’s recent charity concert, and they called on the GoVision mobile LED screen known as GoBigger. “We put the screen on a barge - no small feat - and had a tugboat pull the giant truck-mounted screen on the barge up to the dock,” explains BSUN owner Brad Sundberg.
2,500 people attended the resulting concert, though the screen was visible from up to a quarter of a mile away.
Jul 21
Fox10TV has an article on Jimmy Buffett donating a boat to help in the wildlife rescue effort: “Wildlife rescue boat donated by Buffett”
Alabama Unified Command’s efforts to recover wildlife along the Gulf Coast were enhanced with the donation of a special boat from singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett.
The popular entertainer has donated a boat to help recover oil-soaked wildlife. The boat, built by Dragonfly Boatworks in Vero Beach, Fla., was designed specifically to navigate the shallow waters and marshes of the Gulf Coast to retrieve injured wildlife.
The boat will play an important role in the efforts of Alabama Unified Command to ensure that local wildlife are rescued and transported to rehabilitation centers.
The boat is scheduled to begin wildlife recovery operations during the week of July 19.
Related article: Jimmy Buffett and Dragonfly Boatworks to Donate Boat to Assist In Wildlife Rescue Operations
Jul 17
The Sun Herald has an article on the stalled Biloxi Margaritaville Casino project: “Holloway shows impatience with idle casino”
Mayor A.J. Holloway said Wednesday he has little hope that Harrah’s Entertainment will finish building the Margaritaville Casino on the beach and he thinks Harrah’s may demolish what is on the site.
“I think Margaritaville is through — at that location,” Holloway said during Breakfast with the Mayor, sponsored by the Biloxi Chamber of Commerce at the Donal Snyder Community Center.
Last week, he talked with John Payne, the central division president of Harrah’s Entertainment, who told him the company is not in negotiations with any investors, Holloway said.
The mayor said he is frustrated when he reads that Harrah’s is buying properties when the project in Biloxi has remained idle since 2008.
Jul 17
The Clarion Ledger has a comic on Buffett’s recent concert
Jul 15
From Margaritaville.com: “Pascagoula Run live from Gulf Shores, AL”
Jul 14
SunHerald.com has an article on one state missing from the Jimmy Buffett & Friends concert t-shirt: “Mississippi excluded from Buffett concert shirt”
Jimmy Buffett sang “Mississippi on my Mind” at Sunday’s free concert in Alabama yet Mississippi was missing from the official concert T-shirts.
Coast native Del Oehms Hamilton’s friends pointed out that her home state wasn’t listed on the T-shirt she bought at the Jimmy Buffett and Friends concert at Gulf Shores. Hamilton contacted the Sun Herald.
Over a peace symbol mural with dolphins, a turtle and a pelican are TX, LA and then AL — no MS. Between AL and FL, Georgia was included in the list of states affected by the oil spill, although it doesn’t have a Gulf coastline.
“Oh, no. That is sad,” said California artist MB Hanrahan when she learned of the mistake on the logo she designed.
“Artist chagrined. It won’t happen again,” she said as she pulled out her atlas.
“We turned that around in record speed,” said Hanrahan, whose signature is on the tag of the T-shirts.
Jul 12
Jimmy Buffett and Friends performed a free concert at Gulf Shores, Alabama on Sunday. A huge crowd of 35,000 was on hand for the show right on the beach.
Some of the songs played included: “Pascagoula Run”, “I Will Play For Gumbo”, “Rhumba Man” (with Jesse Winchester and Allen Toussiant), “Mississippi You’re On My Mind” (with Jesse Winchester and Allen Toussiant), “Yes We Can” (featuring Allen Toussaint), and “When The Coast Is Clear” (with Gulf Coast lyrics).
The set list and comments from the show are now available.
Some articles on the show:
AL.com: “Jimmy Buffett Concert for the Coast photos: Images from the big show in Gulf Shores”
CMT: “Jimmy Buffett Offers Another Musical Gift to the Gulf Coast”
“I saw a sign out there that said, ‘What would Jimmy Buffett do? Throw a party at the oil slick!’” Buffett said. “You’re right!”
“Thank you all for coming from wherever you came to help support our good friends, neighbors — and some of my family down here, as well,” Buffett told the crowd after opening the show with “The Pascagoula Run,” a track from his 1989 album, Off to See the Lizard.
WWL.com: “Free Buffett beach show draws crowd on oiled coast”
Video from CMT.com: “When the Coast is Clear”
Jul 11
Jimmy Buffett will be doing a free concert tonight to raise awareness and support the people, the business, and the culture of the Gulf Coast. The show will be broadcast live on CMT between 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM Eastern time. You can also listen to the show live on Radio Margaritaville and following along with the set list right here.
An interview with Jimmy is available from WKRG
WKRG.com News
Jul 06
Fox10TV has an article on the crews setting up for the Gulf Shores show: “Crews plan for Buffett’s benefit concert”
Set up crews were back at work Tuesday, getting ready for the Jimmy Buffet oil spill benefit concert on Sunday. This is round two of trying to get this show on the road. City leaders are hoping the second time will be better than the first.
“Right now, it’s all go on the beach,” said Grant Brown, Gulf Shores Recreation Director.
Last week, Buffett was scheduled to perform, but bad weather stopped set up and caused organizers to postpone the event to July 11.
They were worried that the platform Buffett would sing on, would not be able to hold up to strong tides and heavy winds.
“We would have issues and it would be unsafe,” explained Brown.
If rain does come this way this time around, city leaders say the show will go on and there is a plan in place to protect the performer.
Jul 06
AL.com has an article on the upcoming free concert: “Jimmy Buffett hopes to boost Gulf spirits with Sunday concert”
Singer Jimmy Buffett is just another mad Gulf Coast native when it comes to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, but with an exception: He’s got millions of fans and a way to help lift spirits over the seemingly endless crisis.
Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band will play Sunday on the beach in Gulf Shores, Ala., which has been sporadically hit by oil for weeks. The show already has been postponed once because of Hurricane Alex, and Buffett is hoping bad weather lurking in the Gulf doesn’t create problems this weekend.
Buffett told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday that it’s perfectly normal for people to be mad when they see oil washing up on beaches and marshes.
“If you’re born and raised on the Gulf Coast and it’s kind of in you, and you don’t feel anger and rage initially over what’s going on down there, I think you’re a hypocrite,” he said in a telephone interview from New York. “That’s the way I felt. Now, what you do with that is a big question.”
“People were going, ‘What are you going to do about things?’ I mean, hell, I can’t stick my finger in that hole. Everybody wishes they could,” said Buffett.
The beach concert on Sunday will also feature Jesse Winchester and Allen Toussaint, who also were in the original lineup. Country singers Kenny Chesney and Zac Brown had to drop out because of prior commitments. Buffett said he is still making phone calls trying to add additional acts for Sunday, but he’s not sure of the final roster.
A portion of the show will broadcast live on CMT between 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM Eastern time (see the CMT schedule for more information).
