Songs Buffett Needs to Retire From the Live Shows

[Congobill]

Volcano
Brown-Eyed Girl
One Particular Harbor
Cheeseburger

I mean, c'mon, are there any fans here who haven't seen him play these songs at EVERY show for the past 20 years who will go home disappointed if he doesn't play them? He's got such a vast catalog of great music to play yet we hear so much of the same stuff, year after year. Wouldn't you all like to see Jimmy mix up the set lists a bit more?

[The Lost Manatee]

Who has the popcorn?!?

[Brown Eyed Girl]

Who has the popcorn?!?

Damb...I already brushed my teeth!

Seriously...not every one of us goes to every show, let alone even one show a year. I haven't seen Jimmy in 3 years, I know there are folks here who have had an even longer dry spell. Jimmy plays what he enjoys and wants to play, it's as simple as that. Like it or not, all 4 of the songs mentioned get the crowd going. And for those who don't like them, there's your potty break. All of us have songs we like and dislike, Jimmy can't begin to please everyone. But the vast majority of folks have a great time no matter what.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

Seriously...not every one of us goes to every show, let alone even one show a year. I haven't seen Jimmy in 3 years, I know there are folks here who have had an even longer dry spell. Jimmy plays what he enjoys and wants to play, it's as simple as that. Like it or not, all 4 of the songs mentioned get the crowd going. And for those who don't like them, there's your potty break. All of us have songs we like and dislike, Jimmy can't begin to please everyone. But the vast majority of folks have a great time no matter what.

Yep, what BEG said. I will often skip over Volcano, Cheeseburger or BEG on the iPod but I still like 'em live. I can't imagine a JB show without OPH...

[Brown Eyed Girl]

Seriously...not every one of us goes to every show, let alone even one show a year. I haven't seen Jimmy in 3 years, I know there are folks here who have had an even longer dry spell. Jimmy plays what he enjoys and wants to play, it's as simple as that. Like it or not, all 4 of the songs mentioned get the crowd going. And for those who don't like them, there's your potty break. All of us have songs we like and dislike, Jimmy can't begin to please everyone. But the vast majority of folks have a great time no matter what.

Yep, what BEG said. I will often skip over Volcano, Cheeseburger or BEG on the iPod but I still like 'em live. I can't imagine a JB show without OPH...

Heck, even *I* skip over BEG at times on the iPod. But it's fun to hear it live, especially when my friends sing it to me. Lots of fond memories there.

I've been to shows where he hasn't played BEG, but I'm with you, Jen...I can't imagine him not playing OPH.

[C-Dawg]

Volcano
Brown-Eyed Girl
One Particular Harbor
Cheeseburger

I mean, c'mon, are there any fans here who haven't seen him play these songs at EVERY show for the past 20 years who will go home disappointed if he doesn't play them? He's got such a vast catalog of great music to play yet we hear so much of the same stuff, year after year. Wouldn't you all like to see Jimmy mix up the set lists a bit more?

Just because you've been fortunate to see JB 40 times doesn't mean all his other fans have. The songs you have on your list, with the rest of the songs on SYKBH, are the songs that tend to be the first ones people hear and turn them onto fans. They deserve to hear them at their first concert, just as they were played at yours. There are casual fans, hardcore fans, new fans and old fans and they all are paying the same for their tickets and deserve to hear the songs they like. If you don't like the setlist....go grab a beer or hit the bathroom. Or, don't buy a ticket this year....that way there will be more for those of us that are just happy he's still touring.

[sunseeker]

I can't imagine a show without one particular harbor..

[sjlmk]

I agree there are certain songs he has to play, such as "Fins", and the national anthem of the parrothead nation - but it sure was nice when he stopped playing "Why Don't We Get Drunk....." a few years ago. The problem with the fixed list of "have to plays" is that you miss out on SO many other songs that are even better. I've seen him every year now for 11 years and have yet to hear "Tin Cup Chalice". I would gladly give up BEG or Cheeseburger, or Volcano to hear that just once. However, I would have to disagree on OPH - hearing it live is about 100 times better than the studio version. It has so much more energy live. Anyway, as long as he keeps coming to North Carolina, I'll keep going to see him. Charlotte and Raleigh this week!!!!

[Bicycle Bill]

Sorry, Congobill, but count me also in favor of leaving "Fins", "Cheeseburger", and the others you mentioned in the concerts. I'm going to see my first concert later this year at Alpine Valley (yeah, that's right — a 54-year-old virgin), and I know I would feel cheated if I didn't hear "Fins", "Cheeseburger", "Margaritaville", and "Volcano".
(as a side note, I also do a lot of Jimmy Buffett karaoke and those four seem to be on just about ever karaoke list I've ever seen, so I'm also hoping to compare his live versions to mine)

I also have a short list of other songs that I would like to hear live, such as "Peanut Butter Conspiracy", "Great Filling Station Holdup", "Weather Is Here Wish You Were Beautiful", "Quietly Making Noise", and "Love in the Library". I can only hope, but I'm glad to see that he played "Livingston Saturday Night" live for the first time in something like 14 years. Something like that encourages me to think that maybe he will do a few of the other "semi-retired" songs from time to time.

Of course, you could also think big like me .... win the Powerball and hire JB to do a private concert. *THEN* if you don't want to hear "the old standards", well, you're the one paying the piper and you're entitled to call the tunes.

-"BB"-

[alaura1974]

[big john]

I'm going to three shows this year and I would be dissapointed if I didn't hear at least three
of those songs at every show. Love to hear them live.

[pair8head]

[pbans]

Every show is someones FIRST SHOW......they deserve to see an audience with FINS UP.....
OPH brings me to tears EVERY time I hear it live, no matter how many times that is....

Cheeseburger.....eh....potty break song.....
Volcano.....worth it for the interaction between Jimmy and Utley
BEG....it's a summer song, plain and simple.....

It wouldn't RUIN my concert experience if the three latter songs were missing.....but I certainly don't hate hearing them......

[Skibo]

I can't imagine a show without one particular harbor..

true dat
But can we get rid of that stupid margaritaville song? Really I can't hear Jimmy singing that song anyway and I'm tired of getting hit in the back of the head with the salt packets from the concession stand.

Also that silly shark song. With everyone standing up I can't see the stage and their swaying back and forth makes me seasick.

[PA PAR8 HED]

I think those songs (and others) are not "must plays" for Jimmy, but for the audience.

Like it or not, I think those of us who go to multiple shows a year, listen to live shows on RM, follow the setlists and have been doing so for years and years make up about 10%-15% of the audience.

Look at the songs people sit down during this year...Conky Tonkin', I Heard I Was in Town, maybe even Manana. All songs I'm looing forward to hearing, but most people there have never heard them before.

I think Jimmy loves the energy from the audience, and songs like Fins, Cheeseburger, BEG, Volcano get people up out of their seats.

[Tiki Bar]

I mean, c'mon, are there any fans here who haven't seen him play these songs at EVERY show for the past 20 years?

Yes

Pet peave: "Songs Buffett Needs to Retire From the Live Shows"... who is anyone to dictate what 'Buffett' needs to do???

[NYParrotHead]

Every show is someones FIRST SHOW......they deserve to see an audience with FINS UP.....
OPH brings me to tears EVERY time I hear it live, no matter how many times that is....

Cheeseburger.....eh....potty break song.....
Volcano.....worth it for the interaction between Jimmy and Utley
BEG....it's a summer song, plain and simple.....

It wouldn't RUIN my concert experience if the three latter songs were missing.....but I certainly don't hate hearing them......

DITTO

[LIPH]

Saturday night at Frisco was my 104th Buffett show. He played 27 songs. There were 8 I had never seen him do live before and 3 others I'm not sure if I've ever seen live. Not too bad. But I wish he'd stop doing Southern Cross, he can't hit all the notes anymore.

[La Vie Dansante]

This is a great topic because there are as many answers as there are Users and no one is right or wrong. To be honest, I am not a huge fan of the "party" songs like Fruitcakes, Fins, or even the Anthem, but those songs are what the live shows are all about. I personally prefer his more mellow songs but what a snooze fest a concert would be if he only played songs like Tin Cup Chalice and A Pirate Looks at 40. I am glad, however that "God's Own Drunk" seems to be dropped from this year's setlist.

[LIBuffettFan]

Saturday night at Frisco was my 104th Buffett show. He played 27 songs. There were 8 I had never seen him do live before and 3 others I'm not sure if I've ever seen live. Not too bad. But I wish he'd stop doing Southern Cross, he can't hit all the notes anymore.

I would support that sng being dropped. I do agree though that new fans and people just coming on board should have the benefit of seeing some of his "classics" performed live. I look at some of those songs as a good time to go to the bathroom or grab something to drink