Jimmy Buffett and his merry band of Parrotheads are headed to Bridgeview.
Toyota Park will host Buffett's "The Year of Still Here" tour July 24 and 26.
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Jimmy Buffett will lead his band of Parrotheads to Toyota Park in Bridgeview.
(File photo)
Tickets go on sale March 3.
The shows are the first time Toyota Park and its immense parking lots will experience Buffett's brand of easygoing tropical folk-rock devoted to kickin' back and gettin' drunk.
"Bridgeview will make sure that Parrotheads are going to appreciate our parking lots for their traditional tailgating experience," Mayor Steve Landek said in a statement. "The Toyota Park staff and residents of Bridgeview welcome the Parrotheads."
Buffett is the latest big name to land at Toyota Park, which saw the Dave Matthews Band, the B-96 Summerbash and Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival visit in 2007.
But Bridgeview's gain is Tinley Park's loss.
Save for a Wrigley Field stop in 2005, Buffett's concerts at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre pretty much were annual events at the outdoor venue on Interstate 80. Faced with dwindling attendance, the theater was put up for sale last year.
Tinley Park Mayor Ed Zabrocki said he is sad to see Buffett leave.
"We hate to see a loss like that from an economic standpoint, no doubt about it. He always was one of the largest shows," Zabrocki said.
The mayor did pass along some advice for dealing with crowds known to wear hats resembling shark fins and coconut bras.
"I encourage Bridgeview to have lots of security on hand," Zabrocki said. "There is a lot of exuberance at those shows."
Representatives of the concert promoter, Live Nation, chalked up the change in location to Buffett's desire to play different venues in familiar cities.
But by moving the concert, Live Nation is taking a popular headline act from a venue it owns at First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre. The village of Bridgeview owns Toyota Park.
At Toyota Park, the stage will be set up on the south end of the field. All 28,000 seats will be reserved.
Tickets will cost $36, $86 and $136. Service charges are not included.
For more ticket information, visit www.ticketmaster.com and www.livenation.com.
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