Am I really doing this??

[allucaneatbuffett]

For my fellow PHeads who may rememer, I posted last September about being done with Buffett shows. Moving on. After 20 years, having had enough. Not enjoying it any more. Same songs, cover songs, etc. I questioned whether I would really be able to give up!! Well, here we are into the Buffett Summer tour and I can't believe it, but never thought twice about buying tickets. I have no interest in going to this years show. It was real. Quitting cold turkey was real, not just a post hangover show afterthought. I have reviewed the set lists from this years shows and they really help confirm my decision. The set lists look terrible to me (maybe not to you).
I have spent good $$$ on tix this year for Zac Brown, and Chesney tickets. But the excitement for Jimmy and his shows has faded. I never thought it would happen. have fun at the shows this year fellow P Heads. For those of you who have gone to any shows already, how was it?

(for anyone board enough to read, my original post is below)

(posted last September).
Let me start by saying that I am a long time PH who has been going to shows since I was 18. I am now 40. I have seen JB in 5 different states and been to dozens of shows. For many years, the only CD's that were ever in my car were Buffett CD's. I, like many of you, counted the days and hours leading up to the the phenominal shows every year. The shows where we tailgated like maniacs, drank like fish, sang the night away, and forgot all life's problems for one day. I spent many nights camping out in mall parking lots in the cold, staying up all night, peeing behind a mall dumpster, just for a chance to score great tickets to see the man. I have spent countless dollars on tickets, tailgating, airline tickets, etc to go waste away in Margaritaville. I never wanted to think about the day that Buffett retired, died, whatever. In my mind, these summer parties would go on forever.......

I'm sad to say it's happened. I never thought it would, but it has. I think my Buffett concert days are over. I attended the show at Jiffy Lube last month, after not going last year b/c of the Hurricane/tailgating policy/etc. I was so pumped for the show. we had great up front dead center tickets. But something strange happened. The feeling just wasn't there. The juices weren't flowing. It just wasn't the same. Mostly b/c everything just seemed stale, tired, and dare I say "old".... I just wasn't impressed. I felt myself tired of the same stuff. tired of the cover songs. couldn't believe I was listening to JB sing Lionel Richie!! Watching him perform 3-4 songs while sitting down... I stood there during the show and remember thinking "this might be it"......... Paying $145 to watch him just isn't worth it anymore. The show just isn't the same. The tailgating isn't the same. The energy isn't the same. Jimmy is becoming a tired act.

I went to 3 other shows this summer – Chesney/McGraw, Zac Brown, and Jason Aldean. Without questions, these 3 shows were fantastic, and more enjoyable than Jimmy, and a whole lot cheaper.

I’m done. It’s time to move on. I know so many people here commented on how great his show was this year, I just respectfully disagree. The show is over for me, that’s all. I just don’t enjoy it anymore. I will listen to Jimmy when I feel the urge, but the time has come for me to move on. It’s time to face reality. And please don’t respond with “good, save the tickets for real fans”, or anything of that nature. We all on here are part of the JB cult. Part of a group that has experienced such great music and atmosphere over the years, that others don’t understand. I have just decided those days are over for me. Good luck PH’s…..

[LiveandletLiver]

Can I have your handle?

[Tiki Torches]

I haven't seen Buffett in concert since at least 1996. It was never a conscious decision to "quit cold turkey" or anything like that, it's just something that happened over time. I'm still as avid a fan as I've ever been, just not one that's seen him in concert for 17 years. I've been quite vocal about how I feel like a fish out of water at boards such at this since I've never really gotten caught up in the whole Parrothead thing. That outlook, coupled with the fact that I haven't seen Buffett in concert for so long has led some folks to say I'm not a fan at all. In fact, the exact opposite is true. I will forever and always be a fan and I'm sure I'll be there to buy his new album on the day it comes out, just as I've been for all of his previous releases. In other words, I don't consider not seeing him in concert to be all that big of a deal. That's not a criticism, just an observation. I know I'd like to see him in concert again someday but if I don't, I'm quite content with the times I have seen him perform over the years. It's quite alright to have refrained from seeing him in concert though I'm sure some folks may tell you otherwise.

[lime rickie]

Can I have your handle?

[sonofabeach]

I don't go to a billion Buffett shows or crank his music around the clock like I used to, but the island vibe is still in me.
You still love Buffettesque music such as (Chesney/Zac Brown)
I suggest getting into other indie trop rock acts as many of us have. Hell, I look forward to some of their new cds more than I do a Buffett one.
And they're always out doing shows. I keep a flash drive in my Jeep with thousands of trop rock songs in it and only about 400 of them are Buffett.
So much music so little time....

[Tiki Torches]

I suggest getting into other indie trop rock acts as many of us have.

Better yet, broaden your horizons beyond "trop rock" (I'm still not entirely sure what that is).

[sonofabeach]

I suggest getting into other indie trop rock acts as many of us have.

Better yet, broaden your horizons beyond "trop rock" (I'm still not entirely sure what that is).

My favorite music happens to be trop rock but I listen to loads of music from country to hip hop etc.

[Tiki Torches]

I suggest getting into other indie trop rock acts as many of us have.

Better yet, broaden your horizons beyond "trop rock" (I'm still not entirely sure what that is).

My favorite music happens to be trop rock but I listen to loads of music from country to hip hop etc.

I love the type of music Buffett makes but have never felt any sort of real connection to "Trop Rock". What I have heard seems to focus on what I would refer to as the cheesier aspects of Buffett's sound. That apparently trips a whole of folks' trigger but it does nothing for me. That's not meant to slight anyone's taste in music, it's just part of the disconnect I've experienced as a Buffett fan who finds greater enjoyment in his songwriting craft, which was more of the focus of his earlier work. For whatever it's worth, I also enjoy listening to a wide variety of music but have seldom run across anyone on the Buffett boards that share much of my taste in music. I guess it's not important that our tastes match tit-for-tat but very little of the music outside of the Buffett realm that's held in high esteem here does anything for me. Again, not condemning anyone's tastes. It's just something I've picked up on over the years. A friend compares the chasm I'm referring to to Buffett fans who came onboard post "Margaritaville" to Grateful Dead fans who came onboard after "Touch of Grey". Maybe not an entirely accurate or fair comparison but about as close of one as I've ever seen. There definitely seems to be a predilection by some fans towards the steel pan sound that became more prevalent in Buffett's work once the whole Parrothead thing took off. I enjoy his latter day work but have a definite preference for the era when he was writing more of his own songs and there was less emphasis on the party/island element of his music and persona. That's about as succinctly and politely as I can put it.

Once again, my opinion isn't meant to be insulting or demeaning to others' musical tastes, it's just a matter of personal preference. That would certainly help explain why I'm drawn more to artists such as James McMurtry, Steve Earle, Lydia Loveless, Hayes Carll, Drive-By Truckers, Emmylou Harris, Guy Clark, Jason Isbell, Gillian Welch, Mary Gauthier, etc. where there's more of a focus on songcraft and none placed on creating an island/party vibe (not that there's anything the matter with that). I also love a great deal of alternative/indie rock type music such as Megafaun, the War On the Drugs, Mount Moriah, the Love Language, etc. Artists that I'm guessing are mostly foreign to nearly everyone here. When it comes to "World Music" (for lack of a better term) I also really love Tinariwen, a band hailing from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali that has played a huge role in the direction of Robert Plant's music in recent years, especially on his Mighty Rearranger album. He's returned to that sound with his newest band, the Sensational Space Shifters, who have taken what he was doing on the Raising Sand and the Band of Joy albums and put a North African/Middle Eastern twist on it. Those types of bands and artists are what most interest me at present but I rarely, if ever see any of them discussed here, outside of some of the singer/songwriters such as McMurtry and Guy Clark. I'm sure a lot of folks probably think my tastes begin and end with alt.country artists but they're much more far reaching than that. I have an insatiable desire for most every type of music on the planet but very little interest in the majority of artists most Buffett fans seem to be interested in. Most of my friends feel the same way. They're into everything from doom metal to garage rock and most everything in between. I simply don't see that sort of variety in tastes and genres being displayed by most Buffett fans I've encountered online. Thus, the "disconnect" I've picked up on between myself and most (not all) of his fans over the years.

Apologies for the novella, it's just a topic I've been intrigued by since going online back in the late 90's/early 00's.

[sonofabeach]

My opinion was directed at the original post, in case they still liked Buffettesque music and were looking for something similar. Didn't really need to be hit with the same old copy and paste lecture/insults on the sly about how Buffett's island music (which is the vast majority of his stuff btw, including the early work..Havana Day Dreamin anyone?A1A anyone? White Sport Coat anyone?) is not deep enough or it's cheesy. Btw I think the Drive By Truckers blow with a dime a dozen sound. Oh BUT that's not to insult anyone who might like them.

[Tiki Torches]

My opinion was directed at the original post, in case they still liked Buffettesque music and were looking for something similar. Didn't really need to be hit with the same old copy and paste lecture/insults on the sly about how Buffett's island music (which is the vast majority of his stuff btw, including the early work..Havana Day Dreamin anyone?A1A anyone? White Sport Coat anyone?) is not deep enough or the it's cheesy. Btw I think the Drive By Truckers blow with a dime a dozen sound. Oh BUT that's not to insult anyone who might like them.

I replied to your post because you had quoted me in your response and wanted to clarify my thoughts. For whatever it's worth, if you took my reply to be insulting or to be the "same old copy and past lecture", that surely wasn't my intention as there was nothing "sly" about my reply. In fact, I went to great lengths in my response to make that clear. "Island music" obviously played a huge role in informing Buffett's musical style going back to his early records. Just how significant a role it played and the impact it had on him musically can be determined by listening to Down To Earth and High Cumberland Jubilee followed by the records that came immediately afterwards. However, what I placed great emphasis on was the attention he paid to his own songcraft in those days. Meaning, that was an era in which he was being heralded as an outstanding songwriter, a factor that tends to draw me more to his earlier work than his latter day albums. Obviously, the mixture of calypso, blues, folk, country and rock n' roll was a huge part of the appeal as well. However, I feel that some fans (especially those that became fans post-"Margaritaville") are more drawn to a different aspect of Buffett's sound, one that became more dominant in the era that followed the rise of the Parrothead phenomenon. I don't find anything insulting or demeaning in making such an observation. As I said, I've always been intrigued by the divide I've picked up on over the years between myself and some (not all) Buffett fans when it comes to the other artists I'm a fan of. My belief is that it has everything to do with me being more of a fan of his earlier work when there was more emphasis on Buffett doing his own songwriting. There is also a pretty clearcut difference in how those records sounded, especially in respect to the country western element, which isn't surprising given that some of them were actually recorded in Nashville. That's not to discount his latter day albums or to slam fans of those albums. I love the post-"Margaritaville" era myself, I just have a preference for his early records.

As for the Drive-By Truckers, you may feel that they "blow" and that's fine. Not everyone is going to like them, nor would I expect them to. Believe you me, I've encountered many a DBT's fan (as well as lots of other fans of music in general) to whom I've defended my Buffett fandom over the years. Much of people's perceptions of Buffett are based upon his "Mayor of Margaritaville" image, which is pretty much what I've attempted to address in these past few posts. I mentioned the Truckers because they're one of many artists I'm a fan of. To me, they don't really have a "dime a dozen" sound. They display a musical diversity that draws upon the rich heritage in which they were brought up, which would be the Muscle Shoals region of Alabama (something that also plays a role in Buffett's sound, especially during his early era). There's also other influences that play into their sound but it wasn't my intention to bring them into this discussion other than to list them alongside some of my other favorite artists. It's obvious that I'm a big fan of theirs so to leave them out of a list of my other favorites, I wouldn't have been true to the point I was attempting to make, which would be to discuss the divide in the type of music I like compared to that of of many (not all) Buffett fans I've encountered online over the years. As I said, my response was never meant to insult you or anyone else, it was an attempt on my part to make sense of why my musical tastes are so different from most Buffett fans.

The other point I'd hoped to convey was how I have never related to many of the artists that are championed here, whether they be the relatively unknown "Trop Rock" artists, Kenny Chesney or Zac Brown. Again, that's just an observation I've made, it was never meant to be insulting. Perhaps there's just no polite or diplomatic way to discuss it with others that hold a different opinion but I feel like I did my best not to be condescending in my observations. My apologies to you and others if you feel otherwise. When I see someone dressed in a Hawaiian shirt playing lighthearted Caribbean influenced music (not that there's anything the matter with that), my first impression is of someone that is only taking off on one aspect of Buffett's persona and sound. Perhaps there's a better term than "cheesy" I could have thought of but that is the first thing that comes to mind. As I said, I have been on the other side of this discussion as well. There are a lot of folks out there with a strong disdain for Jimmy Buffett so on more than one occasion, I've found myself attempting to explain my fandom to them. 9 times out of 10, these are people that only know Buffett from songs like "Margaritaville", "Fins", "Cheeseburger In Paradise", etc and have formed their opinion of him based just on those songs and/or the more commercialized aspects of his public persona such as his ever expanding Margaritaville empire. Much like the topic I've attempted to broach in this discussion, I've found it extremely difficult to explain to those people why I'm a fan. I'm sure that you and most everyone else here can relate to that.

[The Lost Manatee]

Tiki, I share many of your musical tastes and probably for many of the same reasons. I love well written songs, those that combine terrific lyrics with great melodies. It is one of the reasons why I host house concerts. It is a great way to discover new artists in an intimate setting. I have either hosted or been to shows with artists such as John McEuan, formerly of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Freebo, Stacey Earle (Steve Earle's sister), Amy Speace (with her former record label owner, Judy Collins dropping in), Gilliam Welch, Tish Hinojosa, Groovelily, Wendy Waldman, Cliff Eberhardt and a host of others that write amazing songs but for whatever reason don't get the recognition/fame/acclaim that others do.

I still try to make a Buffett show every year however it is more for the social aspect than the music. I realize that Jimmy is going to play the songs that the masses want to hear and not the ones that I really would like to hear. Some years I have been very pleased when he has slipped in some real gems and other years, well, I've been disappointed. I don't judge anyone for the musical choices that they make or if they find something else that appeals to them.

Lots of great music out there.

[alphabits]

I like turtles

[surfpirate]

I like turtles

Which is why we are all so happy together ....

[blackjack]

I like turtles

Turtles blow.

[alphabits]

I like turtles

Turtles blow.

Yes, but they do it veeerrrrrry slowly.

[sonofabeach]

My opinion was directed at the original post, in case they still liked Buffettesque music and were looking for something similar. Didn't really need to be hit with the same old copy and paste lecture/insults on the sly about how Buffett's island music (which is the vast majority of his stuff btw, including the early work..Havana Day Dreamin anyone?A1A anyone? White Sport Coat anyone?) is not deep enough or the it's cheesy. Btw I think the Drive By Truckers blow with a dime a dozen sound. Oh BUT that's not to insult anyone who might like them.

I replied to your post because you had quoted me in your response and wanted to clarify my thoughts. For whatever it's worth, if you took my reply to be insulting or to be the "same old copy and past lecture", that surely wasn't my intention as there was nothing "sly" about my reply. In fact, I went to great lengths in my response to make that clear. "Island music" obviously played a huge role in informing Buffett's musical style going back to his early records. Just how significant a role it played and the impact it had on him musically can be determined by listening to Down To Earth and High Cumberland Jubilee followed by the records that came immediately afterwards. However, what I placed great emphasis on was the attention he paid to his own songcraft in those days. Meaning, that was an era in which he was being heralded as an outstanding songwriter, a factor that tends to draw me more to his earlier work than his latter day albums. Obviously, the mixture of calypso, blues, folk, country and rock n' roll was a huge part of the appeal as well. However, I feel that some fans (especially those that became fans post-"Margaritaville") are more drawn to a different aspect of Buffett's sound, one that became more dominant in the era that followed the rise of the Parrothead phenomenon. I don't find anything insulting or demeaning in making such an observation. As I said, I've always been intrigued by the divide I've picked up on over the years between myself and some (not all) Buffett fans when it comes to the other artists I'm a fan of. My belief is that it has everything to do with me being more of a fan of his earlier work when there was more emphasis on Buffett doing his own songwriting. There is also a pretty clearcut difference in how those records sounded, especially in respect to the country western element, which isn't surprising given that some of them were actually recorded in Nashville. That's not to discount his latter day albums or to slam fans of those albums. I love the post-"Margaritaville" era myself, I just have a preference for his early records.

As for the Drive-By Truckers, you may feel that they "blow" and that's fine. Not everyone is going to like them, nor would I expect them to. Believe you me, I've encountered many a DBT's fan (as well as lots of other fans of music in general) to whom I've defended my Buffett fandom over the years. Much of people's perceptions of Buffett are based upon his "Mayor of Margaritaville" image, which is pretty much what I've attempted to address in these past few posts. I mentioned the Truckers because they're one of many artists I'm a fan of. To me, they don't really have a "dime a dozen" sound. They display a musical diversity that draws upon the rich heritage in which they were brought up, which would be the Muscle Shoals region of Alabama (something that also plays a role in Buffett's sound, especially during his early era). There's also other influences that play into their sound but it wasn't my intention to bring them into this discussion other than to list them alongside some of my other favorite artists. It's obvious that I'm a big fan of theirs so to leave them out of a list of my other favorites, I wouldn't have been true to the point I was attempting to make, which would be to discuss the divide in the type of music I like compared to that of of many (not all) Buffett fans I've encountered online over the years. As I said, my response was never meant to insult you or anyone else, it was an attempt on my part to make sense of why my musical tastes are so different from most Buffett fans.

The other point I'd hoped to convey was how I have never related to many of the artists that are championed here, whether they be the relatively unknown "Trop Rock" artists, Kenny Chesney or Zac Brown. Again, that's just an observation I've made, it was never meant to be insulting. Perhaps there's just no polite or diplomatic way to discuss it with others that hold a different opinion but I feel like I did my best not to be condescending in my observations. My apologies to you and others if you feel otherwise. When I see someone dressed in a Hawaiian shirt playing lighthearted Caribbean influenced music (not that there's anything the matter with that), my first impression is of someone that is only taking off on one aspect of Buffett's persona and sound. Perhaps there's a better term than "cheesy" I could have thought of but that is the first thing that comes to mind. As I said, I have been on the other side of this discussion as well. There are a lot of folks out there with a strong disdain for Jimmy Buffett so on more than one occasion, I've found myself attempting to explain my fandom to them. 9 times out of 10, these are people that only know Buffett from songs like "Margaritaville", "Fins", "Cheeseburger In Paradise", etc and have formed their opinion of him based just on those songs and/or the more commercialized aspects of his public persona such as his ever expanding Margaritaville empire. Much like the topic I've attempted to broach in this discussion, I've found it extremely difficult to explain to those people why I'm a fan. I'm sure that you and most everyone else here can relate to that.

Well hey, My initial thought was "dang, this dude's always negative".
I always liken your "I don't get parrotheads" routine to people who post things on facebook, political or whatever, just to get a rise.
They knock something and say "but hey if that's your thing, go for it", but they got their dig in. Maybe that's just the way it reads to me.
I don't love everything Jimmy does and I admit he's not the greatest live performer.
His songs aint what they used to be, but I liked his last 4 albums for the most part. Who could really keep it up at the level he once was all these years later? (don't say Bob Dylan, imo he blows too )
I still think Jimmy has a great album in him if he'd just focus and take his time. Another A1A, Changes or.....dare I say, Banana Wind?
But, hey, it's not 1976 in Key West anymore and while I love nostalgia, you can't live in the past. Well, I guess you could if you only listened to the old stuff.
I came on after Margaritaville (I was 7 then) but I know and like Jimmy's old stuff just like that person that you see in the Hawaiian shirt probably does.
My brother tells me I'm too far gone into this island thing. It's like the soundtrack to my life and I connected to Buffett's music as soon as I heard it in 99.
I live in Florida, love the beach, my boat, play guitar (mainly trop rock)...and yeah, sometimes I dress in a loud shirt for a concert.
Oh, and I love steel drums....(sue me)
I love lots of other music and hobbies too, but that's mainly me and I like it, cheesy or not.
There's plenty of music to go around for everyone, just no need to always knock it..
But anyway, I'm just rambling right now gotta go....Cheers...

[blackjack]

I like turtles

Turtles blow.

Yes, but they do it veeerrrrrry slowly.

I like turtles.

[sonofabeach]

and yeah......I like turtles too

[SMLCHNG]

I like turtles

It IS National Turtle Day.

[LIPH]