If You Weren't a Jimmy Buffett fan......

[Bfan53again]

Just thinking to myself the other day that if I hadn't become a Parrothead (Disclaimer: But I'm glad I did!) what other musician(s) would I have followed as faithfully over the years instead?

Granted, Jimmy is somewhat unique because it's not just the music for him or his fans. It's all about the lifestyle (real or desired), the friends made, the tailgates, the whole Margaritaville brand........let's face it, he does it better than anyone else out there.

Because of all those factors, I'm still not sure that I could have become so loyal to another singer or group.......what about you??????

[The Remittance Man]

Good question...no other musician I can think of attracts quite the same combination of intense love (from fans) and loathing (from detractors) that JB does - or at least none other of whom I'm a fan. Perhaps Harry Chapin, but the fact that he's dead keeps his detractors at bay relatively speaking (and also means his catalogue is far smaller). Jerry Jeff Walker fills a very similar market niche, but since he's far less well-known to the general public than JB, he doesn't inspire as much love-to-hate among non-fans. Bruce Springsteen? Close, but in my experience even his non-fans tend to respect his artistic value in a way they don't with Buffett - and his work as a whole is too...I don't want to say depressing but that's the best word I can think of...to fit the mood Buffett puts me in.


ETA: It occurs to me that I've really answered a different question than the one posed in the OP. Sorry about that. My answer to the actual question is similar, though - those are some of my other favorite artists, but for one reason or another they wouldn't fill the niche Buffett does. And vice versa, which is why I'm also a big fan of theirs.

[lime rickie]

I was a bit of a Deadhead back in the day. Haven't kept up with them much since Jerry passed. Can't think of any current bands or musicians that come anywhere close to the way I feel about Jimmy.

[TommyBahama]

If i wasn't a Buffett Fan..... i wouldn't of met some of the greatest friends in the world.....as for the Music , i like a lot of different music, i would probably see a lot of other acts that i don't, because i spend the Money on Buffett tickets, and/ or travel to key west for MOTM, or shows in other states.

[tigzoe]

Pink Floyd/Roger Waters and Queen are the only two groups that I have liked for over 30 years and would put down good money to see. Obviously, Queen is not going to happen.

My ipod mostly has music I have discovered in the past 5 years...Blue October, KC, ZBB, Pink, and JB. So it is too early for me to tell if most of them are going to have staying power. The new ZBB isn't as good as the last release, but the judgement is still out.

Most of the appeal of JB, is more about a family retreat and having fun. And of course, the other gatherings that happen throughout the year because of him. The concert is almost becoming secondary since he plays so much of the yellow album.

[Bfan53again]

Like you guys, I would (and do) have some other favorite musicians/groups, but I honestly doubt that any other performer(s) would have had the impact on me and my life that JB has had.......

And I even forgot about his getting me and my wife to travel annually to Key West. And wear silk flowered shirts on a regular basis!

[dnw]

Zac Brown Band, but could never be as passionate about them as I am about JB and my parrot head friends.

[Bfan53again]

Zac Brown Band, but could never be as passionate about them as I am about JB and my parrot head friends.

Passionate.....that's the word I was looking for! Thanks, Deb......

[tigzoe]

Like you guys, I would (and do) have some other favorite musicians/groups, but I honestly doubt that any other performer(s) would have had the impact on me and my life that JB has had.......

And I even forgot about his getting me and my wife to travel annually to Key West. And wear silk flowered shirts on a regular basis!

We all became friends thanks to his music, and will remain friends after his music. So I will say no, there is nothing that can compare to JB,

[dnw]

Zac Brown Band, but could never be as passionate about them as I am about JB and my parrot head friends.

Passionate.....that's the word I was looking for! Thanks, Deb......

[Dr.Corona]

Became a Springsteen fan 10-12 years before I even caught wind of Buffett as being someone I'd be interested in. Would not miss a tour of Bruce & The E Street, and many times when he would do 2 shows @ the local venue would catch both shows.
Not sure if I'd pound the "Backstreets" board as much as I do here at BN but good possibility!

[sistergoldenhair]

Jimmy Buffett has impacted my quality of life (positively) in a way that no other artist ever has. I have been a Springsteen fan since 1975 and have seen Bruce many times, in huge stadiums and local bars and nightclubs. Bruce's music captures certain moments in time for me, but JB's music has more of a holistic application to how I look at life -- don't sweat the small stuff, laugh while you can, we're all crazy anyhow ... The party is a fun perk of being a parrothead (oh and I still consider myself to be a deadhead as well ...), but it's the warmth of his stories, the humor, and the groovy vibe of other parrtoheads that I love ... and I love when Jimmy gets serious about his singing and croons a love song, like All the Ways I Want You, Steamer, Someone I Used to Love ... That being said, Mike and I are always happy when David Bromberg comes to town, but it's nothing close to JB.

[LIPH]

If I wasn't a Jimmy Buffett fan I'd have a lot more money.

[ScarletB]

If I wasn't a Jimmy Buffett fan I'd have a lot more money.

wLs - Although someone actually did a study a few years back that found that the happiest people were the ones who spent their money on experiences and not "stuff" And the money i've spent seeing Jimmy (and all the events that go with it) has certainly given me a lot of great memories. I go see James Taylor every year but I don't follow him to every venue within driving distance and would certainly not get on an airplane to see him. I have, and will continue, to travel to see Peter Mayer but I kind of put him together with the whole JB experience.

[TommyBahama]

If I wasn't a Jimmy Buffett fan I'd have a lot more money.

yep!!!!!.....also , a band like ZBB probably would be popular , but i think the Buffett influence has helped him.

I probably wouldn't of heard of Peter Meyer and the great work he has done , club trini and other solo projects by CRB members , along with a lot of other artist Jimmy has pimped or has played with him...Nadirah would be another talent i would of missed out on hearing.

[Tequila Revenge]

Buried somewhere in the great archives of BN are similar threads where other PH wrote well about how Jimmy Buffett connected with their life values and how finding an artist that shared and celebrated similar values made the experience that much more enjoyable. Sort of a, what came first, the parrott head or the singer? That being said, I can't imagine a another concert being nearly as fun as The Total Buffett Experience.

I think Mr. Twain wrote some really good stuff on this topic.

[Bucarader]

Robert Earl Keen or maybe ZZ Top. But nowhere near the same level as Buffett.

[Bfan53again]

Like you guys, I would (and do) have some other favorite musicians/groups, but I honestly doubt that any other performer(s) would have had the impact on me and my life that JB has had.......

And I even forgot about his getting me and my wife to travel annually to Key West. And wear silk flowered shirts on a regular basis!

We all became friends thanks to his music, and will remain friends after his music. So I will say no, there is nothing that can compare to JB,

Well said, Tig.........

[conched]

Because of all those factors, I'm still not sure that I could have become so loyal to another singer or group.......what about you??????

No way I could have become so loyal to another singer/group! And there won't ever be anyone else! I can say that most assuredly.

Jimmy was the 2nd big concert I ever went to in my life and the FIRST was Michael Bolton and Celine Dion the year I turned 44.

The Woodlands pavilion had just opened the lawn that year, in 1994, and it was "THE THING" to do. Sure glad that started this crazy passion!

That's not to say I did not enjoy music...in bars, clubs, theaters, dinner theaters, music halls, small town festivals in Texas and dancehalls. But seeing Jimmy and the band (and the Junkanoos during Fruitcake Tour) and seeing all the stuff going on around me turned me into a Parrothead forever.

[SeattleParrotHead]

I was a James Taylor fan long before I was a Jimmy Buffett fan, and I always been a huge fan of Michael Franks too. But, maybe it's because of the JB marketing machine, they haven't affected my life the way that JB has. I've never been to a JT themed restaurant and I don't own a single Michael Franks T-shirt. I've never had a JT shrimp, and never drank Michael's beer. I'm sitting here drinking iced tea from a "Jimmy Buffett's Beachcomber Restaurant" glass, sliding my mouse around on a "Growing Older But Not Up" mousepad. Jimmy does that to ya..............