Jimmy never coming back to Cleveland??

[greatheart]

I was at the 2004 Blossom concert as well. Blossom is only about 30 minutes from my house as well. I don't recall seeing any of these issues but we had rented a party bus that arrived late and got stuck in the Blossom traffic so we went right in to the show upon arrival. However, I do remember hearing stories about the police and tailgating issues following the show.

This is why Jimmy should play at Browns Stadium. It's right on the lake, there's the muni lot for tailgating and it can hold a large number of people. Plus, the downtown businesses would profit off of it. Even if the grass was damaged, if he plays in June or July that leaves plenty of time for the grounds crew to get it ready for the season. Kenny Chesney has been playing there for a few summers now.

[citcat]

Hmmm... I dunno about the tailgating being a "necessary" aspect of a Buffett show. There was no single lot to tailgate in at the Nashville show. Had it not been for 20" inches or so of torrential rain, we'd all have had fun anyway. Heck we had fun in spite of the rain. There were many little hangout spots, and the Nashville Club stepped up to put on a GREAT pre-concert party. As Jimmy himself said that night, "Parrotheads find a way!" . Just my two cents.

Amen, sistah !!!
And shoot, how far can Cleveland be from Cincinnati ?

[SchoolGirlHeart]

So, yesterday a local radio station asked which artist should return to Cleveland who hasn't been here for awhile. Of course the first caller said Jimmy, since he hasnt been to Blossom since 2004. A few minutes later another caller said that Jimmy wont return to Blossom due to the way the venue (Blossom Music Center) treated the ph's the last time he was here...

What happened?

I have to laugh when I see a comment like that. If a venue is willing to pay his price, does anyone really think he gives a crap about this? Let's be real, he's a businessman. It's all about the money.

I think he does give a crap because yeah, it's all about the money. First, his shows aren't automatic sellouts any more. In just this small group at least a couple of people have said they wouldn't go to Blossom even for Buffett. There are probably a lot of people that feel that way and that affects the bottom line. Second, who needs the bad press? Headlines like BUFFETT CONCERTGOERS ARRESTED aren't good for his bottom line, either, if people start avoiding his restaurants and not buying his merchandise because they somehow blame him for what happens before and after his shows. So why take the risk? Just go to another city where there aren't issues like this. Does he care about how the tailgating situation affects the fans? Well, maybe not. But does he care if it affects his business interests? You bet he does.

[Big Phan]

We also took a party bus to the 2004 show and arrived late. We didn't experience any of the issues others have mentioned, but I do recall hearing about the police in trees and open container enforcement in the parking lot.

I don't want to upset the Indy people, but I thought the police in trees was in Indy - thanks for refreshing my memory, Flock!

[dancastro]

Somebody has to post a pic of the police in the trees.....only in Cleveland!

[RinglingRingling]

"Tailgating is important. It's part of the deal now: A venue must have an area open for all-day Parrothead partying. That gave the Woodlands Pavilion an edge over other Houston venues in landing Buffett this year."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/lif ... 20177.html

This article is the third or fourth place I have heard/read about the tailgating clause...I do believe that is why it took Jimmy so long to go back to St. Louis because of the terrible, over-bearing police and zero tolerance tailgating policy that the venue had. However, they have since resolved the issue, and now St. Louis is a great place to go!

I do not see Blossom changing though...it's a shame since its got such a great lawn...

This year was the first year the Woodlands allowed tailgating. Even then, they didn't announce you could do it until after the PHCs had made plans at local bars.

In 08, the Woodland cops made the M'ville crew go back over to the Pavilion and wouldn't them hang out at the "pre-party" event hosted by the Woodlands. I was talking to the guy who drove around with the frozen concoction maker when the cops came up and told him to leave.

the "hi, welcome to Tommy Bahama's, feel free to pay an arm and a leg because, 'IT'S THE WOODLANDS, YOU HEATHENS!!!!!' tailgate". Gotta admit the tailgate the year before at the Lemonade Stand was a lot better.

[Landshark Girl]

I was at the 2004 Blossom concert as well. Blossom is only about 30 minutes from my house as well. I don't recall seeing any of these issues but we had rented a party bus that arrived late and got stuck in the Blossom traffic so we went right in to the show upon arrival. However, I do remember hearing stories about the police and tailgating issues following the show.

This is why Jimmy should play at Browns Stadium. It's right on the lake, there's the muni lot for tailgating and it can hold a large number of people. Plus, the downtown businesses would profit off of it. Even if the grass was damaged, if he plays in June or July that leaves plenty of time for the grounds crew to get it ready for the season. Kenny Chesney has been playing there for a few summers now.

i'd be the first one in the muni lot for a jimmy buffett show at cleveland browns stadium.

[Tarheel Tail-Gator]

This is why Jimmy should play at Browns Stadium. It's right on the lake, there's the muni lot for tailgating and it can hold a large number of people. Plus, the downtown businesses would profit off of it. Even if the grass was damaged, if he plays in June or July that leaves plenty of time for the grounds crew to get it ready for the season. Kenny Chesney has been playing there for a few summers now.

It's the Browns, does it really matter if the grass is damaged or not?

[CindaBee]

Actually, Blossom is in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, a suburb of Akron and about 7 minutes from my house. The combo of Summit County Sheriffs, CFO police and the Ohio State Patrol make any concert at Blossom a ticket/summons/arrest hazard (and this is coming from a cop's wife). You've never been allowed to have an open container in Blossom's lot, although many of us circumvented that with water bottles, etc. When Blossom was privately owned it was a little better, but then they became part of House of Blues and now LiveNation. Lawn enforcement at the 2004 show set up DUI checkpoints just outside the parking lots and lots of people were ticketed.

We now only go to one Blossom show every other year and that's Prairie Home Companion.

Pittsburgh is a great place to see Jimmy. The tailgating is awesome, the police friendly and the venue is excellent. I'd rather drive 90 minutes to Pitt and spend the night in a hotel than 7 minutes to Blossom and spend the night in jail.