My First Jimmy Buffett Concert
Posted: May 1, 2006 9:54 am
I know that there are lots of these 'first jb concert" posts, but God help me, I had to write mine, too. You don't have to read it. It was way more important for me to just write it.
It was fun to meet everyone. If I didn't get a chance to say hello to you, I'm sure sorry. We met lots of people from lots of places.
The tailgate party was great. My son and I had a lot of fun meeting all the people. We walked through the parking lot, making sure that everyone had a lei. We witnessed lots of things that day. There's something really neat about seeing otherwise normal people become fruitcakes for a day.
We hung out with some new friends, Joann, Bill, Sam, Angela and Terri, all from Lubbock. It was like we had known one another for years.
Waiting for the show to start, I was simply awestruck with all the colors, people and activity. It was a people watcher's paradise. It was cool because everyone was so nice and we all knew what we were there for. I'll never forget that hour and a half of anticipation. The waiting crowd had a certain reverence that I've not seen anywhere outside of church before.
There on the pavillion lawn, and about an hour before the show started, I received a phone call from my mother in Houston telling me that my father had been diagnosed with malignant basil cell melanoma and that he was going to the MD Anderson Cancer Center on Monday. Although I had expected that report, it still shook me somewhat. You know... Bob Marley died from basil cell melanoma. And, like my father, Bob carted his cancer around for a while without getting it checked, in the hopes that by ignoring it, it would go away. My mother knew I was at the show and I had been waiting to hear from her all day about it. I thanked my mom for the call, told her I loved her and hung up.
After the call, I looked down at my son sleeping on the fresh, wet lawn. I hoped that someday when he was 38 he would look back and remember the time his dad took him to his first Jimmy Buffett concert. I looked at all the nice people, all the wonderful colors and sniffed the air. The mixture of cultures and smells were really cool. My emotions were hovering somewhere between sadness and happiness, balancing between the news of my father and my experience with my own son that day. I remembered growing up playing the guitar with my dad and harmonizing while singing Margaritaville at family events. Lost in my daydream, I realized I was smiling.
Then....... the show started, my son woke up and we got to our feet. It was pure electricity when Jimmy appeared onstage with just his guitar. I imagined that must have been what he was like as a young man playing solo sets in the little Gulf Coast nightlclub. I was so happy to see him. My first spiritual experience came when he played "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere", witnessing everyone sing in unison at such a big event. Chills.
Later, as he ran through his set, I was surprised at how many of the songs I knew the words to. It occurred to me, that there I was, looking Jimmy Buffett square in the face, and singing along with him and his Coral Reefers. It was like my own personal show at times.
Later, I actually felt a little choked up as I helped Jimmy sing One Particular Harbor. It somehow occurred to me that I felt that I knew the man, and I was grateful for that.
Driving to our hotel after the show, I broke the news to my son about his grandfather's cancer, and we talked about it for a while. He wanted to know more about his grandpa and I was able to tell him a couple of fun stories. Our talk continued through the hotel check-in and even after the lights were out and we were falling asleep.
Then, though the darkness of the hotel room, my boy asked me quitely... "Dad, is pawpaw a Jimmy Buffett fan?", and I answered yes. My thoughts focused on the fact that Jimmy had touched 3 generations of our family. Saying my own, personal quiet prayer, I thanked God for my father, my son, and Jimmy Buffett.
It was fun to meet everyone. If I didn't get a chance to say hello to you, I'm sure sorry. We met lots of people from lots of places.
The tailgate party was great. My son and I had a lot of fun meeting all the people. We walked through the parking lot, making sure that everyone had a lei. We witnessed lots of things that day. There's something really neat about seeing otherwise normal people become fruitcakes for a day.
We hung out with some new friends, Joann, Bill, Sam, Angela and Terri, all from Lubbock. It was like we had known one another for years.
Waiting for the show to start, I was simply awestruck with all the colors, people and activity. It was a people watcher's paradise. It was cool because everyone was so nice and we all knew what we were there for. I'll never forget that hour and a half of anticipation. The waiting crowd had a certain reverence that I've not seen anywhere outside of church before.
There on the pavillion lawn, and about an hour before the show started, I received a phone call from my mother in Houston telling me that my father had been diagnosed with malignant basil cell melanoma and that he was going to the MD Anderson Cancer Center on Monday. Although I had expected that report, it still shook me somewhat. You know... Bob Marley died from basil cell melanoma. And, like my father, Bob carted his cancer around for a while without getting it checked, in the hopes that by ignoring it, it would go away. My mother knew I was at the show and I had been waiting to hear from her all day about it. I thanked my mom for the call, told her I loved her and hung up.
After the call, I looked down at my son sleeping on the fresh, wet lawn. I hoped that someday when he was 38 he would look back and remember the time his dad took him to his first Jimmy Buffett concert. I looked at all the nice people, all the wonderful colors and sniffed the air. The mixture of cultures and smells were really cool. My emotions were hovering somewhere between sadness and happiness, balancing between the news of my father and my experience with my own son that day. I remembered growing up playing the guitar with my dad and harmonizing while singing Margaritaville at family events. Lost in my daydream, I realized I was smiling.
Then....... the show started, my son woke up and we got to our feet. It was pure electricity when Jimmy appeared onstage with just his guitar. I imagined that must have been what he was like as a young man playing solo sets in the little Gulf Coast nightlclub. I was so happy to see him. My first spiritual experience came when he played "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere", witnessing everyone sing in unison at such a big event. Chills.
Later, as he ran through his set, I was surprised at how many of the songs I knew the words to. It occurred to me, that there I was, looking Jimmy Buffett square in the face, and singing along with him and his Coral Reefers. It was like my own personal show at times.
Later, I actually felt a little choked up as I helped Jimmy sing One Particular Harbor. It somehow occurred to me that I felt that I knew the man, and I was grateful for that.
Driving to our hotel after the show, I broke the news to my son about his grandfather's cancer, and we talked about it for a while. He wanted to know more about his grandpa and I was able to tell him a couple of fun stories. Our talk continued through the hotel check-in and even after the lights were out and we were falling asleep.
Then, though the darkness of the hotel room, my boy asked me quitely... "Dad, is pawpaw a Jimmy Buffett fan?", and I answered yes. My thoughts focused on the fact that Jimmy had touched 3 generations of our family. Saying my own, personal quiet prayer, I thanked God for my father, my son, and Jimmy Buffett.
Hang in there!
- and during Fins I felt the same way, I spent as much time looking at the hundreds of raised arms as I did looking at the stage.