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Good morning all. I am 44 years old. Went to my first Buffett Show when I was 19! Needless to say I am a die hard Senior P Head.
I remember the days of camping out for tickets in mall parking lots, tailgating for hours, spending days planning for the show, etc.

The last concert I attended was 2 years ago at Jiffy Lube Live. Both during and after the show, I just felt like I wasn't as excited anymore. Maybe burnt out of Jimmy. The cost was $135 in the pavillion. I was, and still am, spending money on other shows like Kenny Chesey, Zac Brown, etc. Just felt like maybe I needed a little Buffett vacation.

I was talking to a couple buddies last week about possibly going to the show this year. How we missed Jimmy and the shows. I decided to go online and see what tickets were available. To my suprise, there are a TON of tickets available!!! There are entire sections of the pavillion, especially the back third that are completely empty (meaning all seats are unsold). I was shocked. I know a few years ago there were a few tickets here and there that were available here and there, but not entire blocks, rows, and sections. I also noticed that they price was now $150.

Has anyone been to another show yet this year? Are there alot of empty seats? What's going on? Is it price realted (which I am sure has something to do with it). Is Jimmy just finally losing his appeal and maybe being seen as a "has been"? "old guy". etc.
With all the new great performers out there, perhaps his appeal has finally worn out. Whats the deal? I would probably be a little depressed if I went and sat in the pavillion that was only half full and maybe even a half empty lawn! One of the best parts of the shows in the past was to turn around during sonds like FINS, OPH, just to see the mass of humanity and thousands of people singing right along with Jimmy.

Maybe people are tired of being able to predict pretty much 1/2 the setlist before the show starts.

Maybe people are tired of more and more cover songs in the setlist every year.

Why? Perhaps it's so you'll keep visiting to post this same 'observation' year after year.

Methinks it's a combination of several things:

1) The predictability of the setlists.
2) The expense of the tickets and the hassles/expenses of travel to get there if you're far from the venue. There is also the issue of driving back from the show to home and risking an encounter with a buzzed driver from the show.
3) Tailgating has gotten out of hand in some places (especially in my area) and there's limited parking for regular vehicles nearby due to the RVs and SUVs hogging the parking spaces.
4) Finally, the emergence of Margaritaville-dot-TV has many old-timers like myself wondering if it's not better this time around to decline the offer of a ticket and watch the streaming broadcast from the comfort (and safety) of your own home. As the saying goes: Why buy a cow if you can get the milk for free? Plus, you can drink/party at home as much as you want and not have to worry about driving home afterwards.

I admit, I'm leaning towards the 4th item here myself and am seriously considering staying home this year.

Sometimes one needs to step away from the yearly madness and take stock.

LIPH wrote:Maybe people are tired of being able to predict pretty much 1/2 the setlist before the show starts.

Maybe people are tired of more and more cover songs in the setlist every year.

I think this year might be different!

Honestly this might be a good thing.

Maybe this will lead to smaller venues like the key west show for the future.

For the Key West show over 61,000 entered the contest. Maybe it was for a chance to get a free trip to KW. Maybe just for the free ticket. Maybe to see JB in a smaller venue. Maybe all three reasons.

I have only been to two concerts. Both were so large that we had to watch JB on the screens because we could barely see the stage - and we did not have back row/lawn seats.

So I'm going to watch some of the shows on Margaritaville TV while sitting on our deck. And even then I won't be paying close attention - due to the set lists.

I'm not less of a Parrothead - just less inclined to spend my money traveling and for concerts anymore.

Here's my collection of theories...

Although I liked "Songs from St. Somewhere", overall the album is pretty laid back and (in my humble opinion) the songs aren't as concert-friendly (rowdy?) as songs on many of the older albums. I think back to the License to Chill days and the Take the Weather With You days.... a lot of those songs got heavy concert rotation. If Jimmy assembled a new album of harder hitting songs, the concert scene may liven back up, too.

Also.... back then, Jimmy had a pretty recent major hit with "Five O'clock Somewhere." I think that one brought in a lot of single-season or few-season concert goers. Maybe now we're back to mainly the diehards, and sadly, there are fewer of us than there used to be.

That being said.... I'm still really excited about seeing Jimmy in concert in just a few weeks. It'll be me and 20,000 of my closest friends, and I know it'll still be a party.

If 61,000 people entered the KW contest, you can bet that at least half of the entries were people entering twice. (I had four separate entries.) So knock that number down to 30,500 "hard" entries. And even that number can probably be reduced. If any other major act had done the same type of contest, the entries would have likely been well over 100,000 and for some probably over 1,000,000.

That tells me that most people attend concerts mostly for the pre-concert party. These days, if you have been to one Buffett show, you've been to them all. So it is understandable that maybe people are staying home. This tailors nicely to my next point.

I used to attend at least 3 shows a year. When I went, I brought a minimum 3 other people with me. With the exception of last year, I have not been to a show in about 11 years. So figure that is 33 concerts I would normally attend and 99 tickets (minimum) I could be counted on to buy.

If other people are the same as me, and have a "been there, done that" attitude, then I think it is understandable that he is not selling out venues.

I also think that this would have happened earlier if not for It's Five O'clock Somewhere and License to Chill. Those country loving people like to have a good time. And a JB concert is a good time. But maybe now even they do not feel the need to spend a whole day drinking in the sun so that they can sing along to Volcano, Brown Eyed Girl and Cheeseburger in Paradise. The novelty may have worn off.

jbfins wrote:If 61,000 people entered the KW contest, you can bet that at least half of the entries were people entering twice. (I had four separate entries.) So knock that number down to 30,500 "hard" entries. And even that number can probably be reduced. If any other major act had done the same type of contest, the entries would have likely been well over 100,000 and for some probably over 1,000,000.

That tells me that most people attend concerts mostly for the pre-concert party. These days, if you have been to one Buffett show, you've been to them all. So it is understandable that maybe people are staying home. This tailors nicely to my next point.

I used to attend at least 3 shows a year. When I went, I brought a minimum 3 other people with me. With the exception of last year, I have not been to a show in about 11 years. So figure that is 33 concerts I would normally attend and 99 tickets (minimum) I could be counted on to buy.

If other people are the same as me, and have a "been there, done that" attitude, then I think it is understandable that he is not selling out venues.

I also think that this would have happened earlier if not for It's Five O'clock Somewhere and License to Chill. Those country loving people like to have a good time. And a JB concert is a good time. But maybe now even they do not feel the need to spend a whole day drinking in the sun so that they can sing along to Volcano, Brown Eyed Girl and Cheeseburger in Paradise. The novelty may have worn off.

I think the number 61,000 is probably very close. You could only use one email address or your multiple entries were voided. I don't know how many people have more than one maybe two email accounts but I imagine it's pretty small. I think the problem was twofold......that it wasn't advertised anywhere but at the company website. And it was in a more remote place on short notice. Had he done this at a small venue in say New York and it was on the radio and in the news, you can bet there would have been a ton more entries.
I glad there weren't any more entries because we won and attended the show and his connection with the crowd was great and he looked like he was having a blast. He could have sang "I've been working on the Railroad" and I wouldn't have cared........oh wait......no covers! (Yes Larry.....5 O'clock somewhere is a COVER....no matter what JB says.)

1) a lot of covers
2) ticket cost ...unless you're a lawn person
2) add in travel expenses, hotels , booze ,food , t-shirt cost , other expenses if you have to fly
4) People have other priorities and personal expenses

I've been to 71 shows , but the last few years it's been 1 a year , some is His schedule , some is I just can't afford to travel around anymore ,not a lawn person ,so 150.00 gets steep , then there is other interest ( Golf , sporting events or other concerts)

and most of the time I'm doing it solo , so ticket cost could be huge if you are buying for 2 , 3 , 4 or more people.

I saw my first JB show at 20, (44 now) and during my hardcore PH days, was going to 3-4 shows a summer. Now, married, kids, etc, I just don't have the flexibility to attend where I want, when I want.

I went to my first ever — and so far, only — Buffett show in 2009 at Alpine Valley.  It was expensive (I popped for a ticket for the pavilion from someone selling them near where the group from BN was tailgating) but turned out to be worth it because of the rain/cold weather that year.

I am seriously giving some consideration to returning this year, partly because of the idea of getting two concerts for one since Huey Lewis is opening for Jimmy at Alpine Valley — and there's always the possibility of some of the Lewis band (especially the horn line!) coming out and adding something to some of Jimmy's stuff.  And yes, I would probably pop the extra bucks for the under-the-roof seating again.... history does have a way of repeating itself, after all.

I guess it comes down to what we want to spend our time and money on.

-"BB"-

The answer to some of this is that many PHs are growing older AND up. That doesn't take a thing away from their love of JB and the lifestyle he promotes. There are simply other issues in life which become more consuming. It wears on older people more than young people.

You are very lucky, really!

allucaneatbuffett wrote:Good morning all. I am 44 years old. Went to my first Buffett Show when I was 19! Needless to say I am a die hard Senior P Head.
I remember the days of camping out for tickets in mall parking lots, tailgating for hours, spending days planning for the show, etc.

The last concert I attended was 2 years ago at Jiffy Lube Live. Both during and after the show, I just felt like I wasn't as excited anymore. Maybe burnt out of Jimmy. The cost was $135 in the pavillion. I was, and still am, spending money on other shows like Kenny Chesey, Zac Brown, etc. Just felt like maybe I needed a little Buffett vacation.

I was talking to a couple buddies last week about possibly going to the show this year. How we missed Jimmy and the shows. I decided to go online and see what tickets were available. To my suprise, there are a TON of tickets available!!! There are entire sections of the pavillion, especially the back third that are completely empty (meaning all seats are unsold). I was shocked. I know a few years ago there were a few tickets here and there that were available here and there, but not entire blocks, rows, and sections. I also noticed that they price was now $150.

Has anyone been to another show yet this year? Are there alot of empty seats? What's going on? Is it price realted (which I am sure has something to do with it). Is Jimmy just finally losing his appeal and maybe being seen as a "has been"? "old guy". etc.
With all the new great performers out there, perhaps his appeal has finally worn out. Whats the deal? I would probably be a little depressed if I went and sat in the pavillion that was only half full and maybe even a half empty lawn! One of the best parts of the shows in the past was to turn around during sonds like FINS, OPH, just to see the mass of humanity and thousands of people singing right along with Jimmy.

This is no real mystery. You're just growing older AND up. What was once crazy fun isn't exactly the same anymore.

Could it be over saturation , he does play yearly , the shows are on Margaritaville Radio and now TV.

More options now. For many years the Buffett concert experience with the day long tailgating and show at night was a summer must do and unique. Now there are other summer shows with similar themes (ZBB, KC, Country Fest,etc...) that have all day tailgating and a show. The pie is now being split into more pieces so it gives people who just attend just one show per summer more options to spend their money.

I don't necessarily buy into the set list being the issue, most fans going to shows only know the standard Buffett songs anyway so they are happy to hear them. I think it's more the other performers are more mainstream so their songs are heard more on the radio.

The Woodlands in Houston was packed - it always is. We do the lawn, which with a small child is the best bet for us. I'm 43 and I've been going annually to Houston, or sometimes Austin now days. I miss Jimmy in the years that we don't get a show in Houston. I live on the south coast of Texas, so Dallas is light years away. If I had to go to Frisco, we'd just go to NOLA instead if it was an option. Obviously only if there were no Houston or Austin show.

I went to my first show when I was at A&M in the early 90's. I remember how "cool" it was to go to Margartiaville in NOLA on Spring Break right after it opened on our way to Fort Walton Beach.

Bubba provides the background music for my life, along with Larry Joe Taylor, Jack Johnson, and now days, Jason Isbell. True, we spin a lot of Texas music at out house, and new Southern Rock/Folk. But Jimmy is still "it" for me and the only person we go see on a regular basis. Knowing that they day is quickly coming that Jimmy says no more, we will go each year until that happens.

I agree with ALOT of what TommyB says...CT boys think alike...I think the biggest issue is the overall expense..$150 + for a seat... for a couple..$300+.. plus travel...I cant swing that... fond memories though... not totally done... but its working on a 3rd year... even Jones Beach is tough from..great venue...but feels like you drive for ever...no port-a potties...Mohegan not as great a venue... more expensive but the pain is less overall...