In reply to the "Tell us about Glam rock pls" question- Americans, please explain Jimmy Buffett to non yanks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUTf5qvS0Lo&feature=related

seriously what the FUCK?

in a similar way to phish/DMB, i'd think the vast majority of people in the UK and hopefully Europe, even huge music fans, have never heard one of his songs before. please explain him. he's pretty massive right?

i don't understand jimmy buffett, but this is the only time i felt like i was close to it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX1Nh6c80wo

jimmy buffett was in status quo

It goes like this

Buffet:Vacationing Americans::Shitty techno:Europeans on Holiday

Hmm. is this something you enjoy as a child and then enjoy ironically, or a lifelong serious affliction?

Lifelong affliction. His fanbase is mostly his age.

yeah nobody under the age of maybe 50 cares about him

Jimmy Buffet is for middle-aged (or, i guess old) people who don't like anything close to "bad vibes" in their music when they are drinking (and possibly smoking a lil herb).

Hawaiian shirt wearing, pony-tailed (if they still have hair) white dudes who like vacations in the Carribean and not having to wear shoes.

yes, an excuse to post the best review of all time!

Jimmy Buffet, License to Chill

PRO-SOCIAL CONTENT
Buffett wants to relax and enjoy life (“Trip Around the Sun” with Martina McBride). On “Anything, Anytime, Anywhere” he assures a special lady, “Tell me what you need/I will surely come through.” Sailboats are a metaphor for unfulfilled dreams the singer is ready to pursue (“Boats to Build” with Alan Jackson). Amid sober reflections, a man claims to have learned from his mistakes on “Scarlet Begonias.”

OBJECTIONABLE CONTENT
The irreverent “Coastal Confessions” finds a cocky, unrepentant man prattling to a priest about impure thoughts and marijuana use, saying, “Bless me father/Yes, I have sinned/Given the chance I’ll probably do it again.” Strangers have a fling that involves cruising bars and buying a thong (“Conky Tonkin” with Clint Black). With bad-boy aplomb, the spiritually confused Buffett calls himself a “Piece of Work” (a Toby Keith duet). Aided by Kenny Chesney on the title track, he misuses Jesus’ name, ogles half-naked women and calls his boss a jerk. Profanities mar several cuts. Beyond an s-word, “Simply Complicated” imagines receiving perverse news about family members.

SUMMARY ADVISORY
It’s been 27 years since “Margaritaville,” and Buffett still lives for the weekends. A few positive moments aside, this CD finds him spiritually lost in a chronic midlife crisis full of bars, women and zero accountability.

This was not the first time Buffett had been assumed to be carrying drugs. In January 1996 his Grumman HU-16 airplane nicknamed "Hemisphere Dancer" was shot at by Jamaican police who believed the craft to be smuggling marijuana. The aircraft sustained minimal damage. On board the plane with Buffett were U2's Bono, and Island Records producer Chris Blackwell, and co-pilot Bill Dindy. The Jamaican government acknowledged the mistake and apologized to Buffett who penned the song "Jamaica Mistaica" for his Banana Wind album based on the experience.

do people listen to james taylor in the u.k.? i only ask cuz i remember maria saying that when she lived in holland nobody knew who james taylor was. not that the u.k. is holland. oh wait he was signed to apple, right? okay, then maybe they do know who he is.

Jimmy Buffet owns a restaurant chain named after the only damned song anyone knows:

http://www.margaritavillemyrtlebeach.com/templates/default/images/home_promo_main.jpg

He's also one of the wealthiest entertainers in the world.

Buffett has taken advantage of his name and the fan following for his music to launch several business ventures, usually with a tropical theme. He owns or licenses the Margaritaville Cafe and Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant chains. As a baseball fan, he was part-owner of two minor league teams: the Fort Myers Miracle and the Madison Black Wolf. Between his restaurants, album sales, and tours, he earns an estimated $100 million a year.

terrible

his fans are called "parrot-heads"

thats all ive got

sometimes these are pretty OTM:

SUMMARY ADVISORY
It’s been 27 years since “Margaritaville,” and Buffett still lives for the weekends. A few positive moments aside, this CD finds him spiritually lost in a chronic midlife crisis full of bars, women and zero accountability.

Somewhere right now, and all the time until the end of summer and then some, Jimmy Buffett will be playing in the United States or in some tourist trap that mostly attracts we Yanks. Can glam rock make the same claim (except for Queen's "We Will Rock You?" which we've also taken over)? I don't think so.

is that wyatt cenac playing james ingram?

On February 4, 2001, Buffet was ejected from the American Airlines Arena in Miami during a Miami Heat/New York Knicks basketball game for cursing. After the game, referee Joe Forte said that he ordered the singer moved during the fourth quarter because "there was a little boy sitting next to him and a lady sitting by him. He used some words he knows he shouldn't have used."

However, Forte apparently didn't know who he'd just removed from the arena. Heat coach Pat Riley tried to explain who Buffett was to Forte and was censured himself because the referee thought Riley was insulting him by asking if he'd ever been a "Parrothead," the nickname for Buffett fanatics.

Awesome.

you guys

http://www.margaritaville.com/index.php?page=pphotos

I'm trying to think of the closest British analogue and I keep coming back to Wings

best i can explain is that he's one of those musicians where the music is secondary (or tertiary, or beyond) to the image/lifestyle being sold. his fans essentially live for that one day a year when he comes to their city, or whenever they can save enough to pull a week in key west.

Just basically take a young American guy who enjoys a good party and then grow him up into a middle-aged, middle-class American adult male, and then imagine the stuff he might like: it'd be nice to have your own boat, tell your jerk of a boss to shove it, sail down somewhere it's warm and just take 'er easy, get some cocktails on the beach, havin' some drinks, charmin' some ladies, you know, exotic island ladies or real classy types, it's all good, plus when you're drinking on the beach you never have to dress any better than you would if you were mowing your lawn, then maybe smoke a little weed now and then, up in your house there where it's warm, your own little piece of property, cuz you're an independent type, they can call you a bad-boy if they wanna, but you're just lookin' to take 'er easy and have some good times, hang out there with the characters down at the bar, hear some stories, tell some tales, sometimes have some buddies over and break out the old six-string and lay down a couple nice little tunes about how funny life can be and how nice it is to just take 'er easy, down somewhere it's warm.

basically there is a strain of mainstream American adult male for whom real non-conformist freedom isn't about any arty transgressive shit, it's about not having to wear shoes or trousers if you don't damn well feel like it

^^^good analysis

One of his restaurants is on the strip in Vegas. When i walked by there were approximately 6-8 people with straw hats and those enormous Slurpee-sized drinks that you see all over in Vegas. It looked like the worst place on the strip.

Also, didn't he get thrown out of a basketball game a few years ago?

i would say it's garrison keillor + "kokomo" + mom 'n' dad college football fandom (this might not help UK people much)

mom 'n' dad college football fandom = oh yes, this is very, very good

i would recommend that non-US people do an image search for "cheeseheads" in this context

http://www.theonion.com/content/columnists/i_got_to_find_a_new_place_to"">Jim Anchower + grown-up Bart Simpson + 2 middle-income dads with kids in college

I make no apologies about liking the song. It’s a nice soporific country-pop tune that goes down easy with no bitter aftertaste. And dammit, sometimes you just wanna kick back, wear flip-flops, and let your brain turn to jelly in the hot afternoon sun. Rebel against the man by being a lazy sod.

Parrotheads though, that’s something I can’t explain. I guess it’s like trying to explain cricket to a yank.

i once heard "cheeseburger in paradise" in a trader joe's and decided i had to leave... my soul was being overtaken by grinning white people in hawaiian shirts.

basically there is a strain of mainstream American adult male for whom real non-conformist freedom isn't about any arty transgressive shit, it's about not having to wear shoes or trousers if you don't damn well feel like it

Feelin' this.

too bad that "what a disaster" meme got played out so fast

basically there is a strain of mainstream American adult male for whom real non-conformist freedom isn't about any arty transgressive shit, it's about not having to wear shoes or trousers if you don't damn well feel like it

otm except "damn well feel like it" is a little bit confrontational phrasewise for a parrothead.

This was not the first time Buffett had been assumed to be carrying drugs. In January 1996 his Grumman HU-16 airplane nicknamed "Hemisphere Dancer" was shot at by Jamaican police who believed the craft to be smuggling marijuana. The aircraft sustained minimal damage. On board the plane with Buffett were U2's Bono, and Island Records producer Chris Blackwell, and co-pilot Bill Dindy. The Jamaican government acknowledged the mistake and apologized to Buffett who penned the song "Jamaica Mistaica" for his Banana Wind album based on the experience.

― Ømår Littel (Jordan)

good cover story by the jamaicans imo

To his credit, he came out vocally for Obama in the past election. And since a big chunk of his fanbase is white wealthy Republicans, his endorsement takes more balls and is more transgressive than, say, Grizzly Bear doing the same.

except he has nothing to lose. he already has all the money in the world.

i mean he could lose some fans, but so what at this point?

"buffett i guess."

fwiw i have known just two actual jimmy buffett fans. one was a sort of goofball science nerd in college who drank a lot of wine coolers. the other is a crotchety dude in his 40s who thinks rap was the end of "real music."

Oh man, our local fireworks display was "sponsored and soundtracked" by a local radio station and they played "Cheeseburger in Paradise" right between fucking "Rocky Top" and like Bon Jovi. It was hellish. But the back-to-back of Rush and AC/DC nearly made up for it.

in Florida, this shit is served like Key Lime Pie

Like every touristy section you go to has parrothead gear for sale next to the FUKENGRUVIN T-shirts and the gummi gators

yes james taylor was huge in the uk. stupid dutch people.

i think our only equivalent would be the hundreds of crappy bands who no longer have a chance in the charts, and so float about with two original members playing tiny provincial festivals or private parties so that the (generally) middle classes can dance to the hit? many of these events take place at stately homes where you can pack a picnic and some wine and 'rock out' with the kids (probably called Saskia and Quentin, the girl with massive awful hair, the boy with pink rugby shirt with upturned collar). see M People, The Lighthouse Family, UB40? - bands who play shows attended by people who could care less about the music and more about the self satisfied relaxed vibe (vomit). but then i assume and hope these bands don't make large amounts of money (less of it floating around over here i suppose?)

I have always wondered about Jimmy Buffett, so this thread is v. useful. I have always assumed he sounds like the Ween song, "Bananas and Blow", still never heard him.

Dylan's list is a good list.

"Buffett I guess. Lightfoot. Warren Zevon. Randy. John Prine. Guy Clark. Those kinds of writers."

This is one track Dylan purports to like. S'ok.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_wikdQ2Z0A

According to Wiki James Taylor's managed to chart all of 4 albums in the UK in his entire career. Huge my arse. Props to Jamie ATP for keeping the spirit of Swells alive tho during this sad time.

http://images.usatoday.com/life/_photos/2008/06/18/parrotheads-buffetx.jpg

Well contemporary chart positions shouldn't really be the sole source of judging popularity. In London he just played the same venue Michael Jackson was lined up for. Maybe 'huge' was a bit much, but generally music fans know who he is, know the bigger hits and he certainly had/has a big following amongst people of a certain generation or two.

his early work is actually good if you like singer/songwriters or country rock. always loved his first pop hit "come monday." with margaritaville he settled into his wayfaring party-guy persona and played for his cult. long after his albums stopped selling he would top the concert-draw results every summer. "a human tourist attraction" I once wrote.

he's a hedonistic icon for conservative people. one night a year they don the parrott-hat and tank up on bud lite and go see buffett -- CRAZY. absolutely no surprise that one of his biggest markets is my republican hotbed hometown of cincinnati ohio, he sells out 6 or 7 arena shows there every summer.

he's a hedonistic icon for conservative people

Is there a UK equivalent of this?

http://www.burnsvillemn.com/system/member_images/Daniel_O_Donnell__Target_center_288.JPG?1236699147

http://lineout.thestranger.com/files/2008/04/noelsunglasses.jpg

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/8679/clarke17dn.jpg

Howard Marks

http://ayyyy.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/nigella-lawson-breast-supporting-dress.JPG

Just give me 5 minutes actually.

Is there a musical equivalent of Ian Botham somewhere out there? Who does Jeremy Clarkson listen to?

Uh right, sorry, what were we talking about again?

UK equivalent of Jimmy Buffet might be present-day Fairport Convention. I'm sure they'd be horrified - but they run their own festival where you're encouraged to wear bad clothes and laze in the sun drinking yourself insensible to mellow sounds, all the while congratulating yourself on being hip enough to go to a festival and recapture the spirit of '69 even though you're pushing 60 and work as an accountant.

I actually thought of them, but I don't think their fans are right wing enough

I bet plenty of them are ... Bear in mind the BNP sees kinship with English folk music. There are plenty of deeply conservative people who like getting pissed on real ale listening to songs they first heard 40 years ago. Plenty of ;iberals, too - but I bet there's a healthy Tory turnout at Cropredy.

Bear in mind the BNP sees kinship with English folk music.

The feeling is not mutual, in my experience

Tbf the BNP thinks English folk music = Chas and Dave.

Nope, feeling probably not mutual. But I think it's naive to assume that because Fairport are liberals, their crowd is too. Bet Clarkson likes em.

I swear I recall a Clarkson-curated 'drivetime classix' compilation from years back... all Brian May and 'All Right Now' an'ting. Maybe it just had the Top Gear logo on it

Well there is this http://www.play.com/Music/CD/4-/5388335/Top-Gear-Anthems-2008-Seriously-Hot-Driving-Music/Product.html

some serious 'wait what' content in there

Jesus, that's a weird comp. The Blue Nile as drivetime?

Last track, journey winding down, kiddies asleep in the back etc

the musical supervisor for top gear regularly picks stuff by Fuck Buttons, Animal Collective, etc.
someone needs to tell this twat he's letting the side down.

Yeah because that kind of radical music is way outside of the kind of stuff Top Gear fans are into.

It's more that I (stupidly) assume that people with good taste like that would want to set their standards a bit higher than the worst programme on television.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/11/19/article-1087647-0288619D000005DC-133_468x286.jpg

make clarkson a curator for the next NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, event wld live up to his name and he prob wldn't put together a crappier line up than kevin shields

ITS name

Clarkson's about the only guy who could persuade Buffett to play, IMO

The driver of a bus carrying Jimmy Buffett tour personnel from a concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Saturday will be charged by Howard County police with hitting an officer who was directing traffic, police said.

Pfc. Richard Rutledge suffered scrapes and bruises, said Sgt. A. J. Bellido de Luna, who is investigating the accident.

A representative of the Buffett band, who refused to be identified, said that the officer "without provocation became physically and verbally abusive, repeatedly pounding on the vans and the bus as they passed by. To the best of our knowledge, he was not injured by any of these vehicles."

The incident occurred about 10: 40 p.m., according to Bellido de Luna, who said the bus first hit an auxiliary officer who was unhurt and, moments later, struck Rutledge near Entrance and Symphony Woods roads.

Bellido de Luna said the bus, which had gotten separated from the rest of the Buffett caravan that was traveling down Little Patuxent Parkway, turned onto Entrance Road to reach U.S. 29.

Police said Rutledge tried to stop the bus that was approaching pedestrians by waving his arms and shouting at the driver, whom police refused to identify. The driver did not halt and struck Rutledge, Bellido de Luna said.

The bus drove away but was pulled over by state troopers on Interstate 95 in Perryville, police said.

Buffett was not on the bus, which carried his manager, the tour manager and two musicians, according to police.

Rutledge was treated and released at Howard County General Hospital.

Bellido de Luna said police will charge the driver with failing to obey the lawful order of a police officer, crossing a double yellow line and reckless negligence.

This "should never have happened," Bellido de Luna said.

No song about that, though.

Oh man, our local fireworks display was "sponsored and soundtracked" by a local radio station and they played "Cheeseburger in Paradise" right between fucking "Rocky Top" and like Bon Jovi. It was hellish. But the back-to-back of Rush and AC/DC nearly made up for it.

― the sideburns are album-specific (jon /via/ chi 2.0)

uh this sounds fun.

I have always wondered about Jimmy Buffett, so this thread is v. useful. I have always assumed he sounds like the Ween song, "Bananas and Blow", still never heard him.

― Then in walked Barbara Castle with the Lady Eleanor (Tom D.), Tuesday, 7 July 2009 08:57 (4 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

According to the "Songs that are imitations/spoofs/sendups of another singer/band's style" thread I was right!

m coleman & nabisco both absolutely otm.

i will say that buffet did seem to be pretty damn popular up through the early 90s with preppy college kids in the Southeast US who liked to drink/ smoke a little herb, but thought maybe the Dead were just a little too far out. this would have been just before Dave Matthews & Widespread Panic became college campus staples.

>preppy college kids in the Southeast US

Yeah, I think conservative hedonism is at the core of his appeal. Not only is he looking for his lost shaker of salt, he's self-sufficient enough to admit it's his own damn fault. I worked in a small shop for a few years, and the owner was a big Buffett fan. He didn't pay us much, but he didn't pay himself much either. Even though he had an MBA, he was happy running a few small picture framing shops where he could roll in late and putter around arguing back with talk radio. Once a year he took a ski trip. Wore a polo shirt and khakis every day. That Buffett was a successful businessman was part of the appeal.

Peel off the 12 Step/Methodist parts of his history, and George W. Bush is the archtypical parrothead.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2289/2300612307_92a5776c40.jpg

when i was a kid i liked 'cheeseburger in paradise.'

worst fans are the worst

"When Jimmy went to Boston this week, about 17,000 people were there to hear it and it was a great show. Many performers are good at doing something new and shocking. But Jimmy isn’t one of those. He doesn’t need to shock to be entertaining and fun. He just gives us the kind of show that we’re excited about everytime and it remains essentially the same each time. There were a few new songs, but everyone goes to his shows to have that experience that’s the same as the last time. It’s the feeling of fun, sun and relaxing that brings us back each and every time, isn’t it? It certainly is for me! If anyone will give you the feelings of summer like joy, excitement, romance, etc, it’s Jimmy. And this summer, more than most, we all need to be reminded of all those things, because we need to remember the little things in life!"

http://ajimmybuffettfan.com/

the one major buffet fan i know is this guy who's a doctrinaire, all-good-things-came-from-the-beatles music teacher. it's funny to me cause i can understand buffet completely from the image/lifestyle angle but the music is just not very good.

right, and obviously it's the lifestyle that sells it. his real artistic achievement, if you want to call it that, is creating and successfully peddling an adolescent vision of the good life that allows people who participate as fans and concertgoers to at least briefly pretend it's their life too. i guess a lot of artists do something similar (obviously the dead did), but not many have such a specific, narrow and unwavering vision.

and let's not negelect the junior division of parrothead nation:

https://booksxyz.com/btcovers/full/01/52/40/0152405380.jpg

When I saw Club Dread in the cinema with my Scottish friend here in Glasgow, this meant nothing to her. Or anyone else in the cinema.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO3T4iVEkqA

right, and obviously it's the lifestyle that sells it. his real artistic achievement, if you want to call it that, is creating and successfully peddling an adolescent vision of the good life that allows people who participate as fans and concertgoers to at least briefly pretend it's their life too. i guess a lot of artists do something similar (obviously the dead did), but not many have such a specific, narrow and unwavering vision.

― us_odd_bunny_lady (tipsy mothra)

Except almost all rappers, rock bands ever.

but buffett has distilled his hedonism into something a lot more detailed than just sex-drugs-money-cash-ho's. he's not selling some sort of generic libertine ideal, his has a zip code, a dress code, drink recipes, sailboats, sand, etc etc. it's not really any more imaginative than your average tiki bar, but it's very particular.

and his claim on his particular turf is strong enough that when someone comes along to bite it -- like jack johnson or kenny chesney-- everybody goes, "oh, he's doing a jimmy buffett thing."

i like that he calls his music "gulf & western". you know, you would probably have a really good time hanging out with jimmy buffett on his boat. i'll bet he's got a great personal chef.

and then you could write a song about it called "hoedown bro-down."

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41G2G439WAL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

"Margaritaville DM1000 Frozen Concoction Maker," costs $300

My friend was telling me about her parrothead parents, who went on a vacation to the Carribean and spent the whole week in a Margaritaville bar.

his real artistic achievement, if you want to call it that, is creating and successfully peddling an adolescent vision of the good life that allows people who participate as fans and concertgoers to at least briefly pretend it's their life too

I don't know that it's an adolescent vision he's selling so much as classic mid-life-crisis male behavior but without the crisis.

come to think of it, that's probably a parrothead's greatest fantasy. hanging with jimmy on his boat and drinking fine fine tiki bar drinks.

i think pinning this on males alone is really unfair. i work at a ballpark where cheap plastic neon-green 'mai tais' are sold to overly tanned women for $7 a pop

shit is gross

just sayin the parrothead life is pretty equal opportunity

Oh for real, I just always think of owning a boat as this specifically male fantasy; I guess I'm sexist.

it's kinda like the "going back to the land" fantasy, but you don't have to grow anything. you just put your feet up and drink. get a tan. i'll never understand florida.

haha no im just playing it probably is xp

Men and women alike can dig being 'laid back' with expensive cocktails.

actually i very much would like to own a boat

As a kid I had to go to a lot of boat shows with my dad or uncles, which were quite boring, and it was mostly men there, so I think it's how I got this idea that for a certain brand of middle-aged man, a boat is the ultimate...thing.

when i worked at the hospital all the nurses and everyone would talk about where they were going on vacation and they all went to these beaches in mexico where you lived in huts by the beach, but they were, like, really FANCY huts. you know? at first i thought they were roughing it until i saw the pictures.

what are y'all, aliens? yeah all that shit is fun as hell!

i like hangin'. and drinkin'. and not wearing shoes.

We've got people like that over this side of the Atlantic, they're called tramps

Jimmy Buffett, UK-style:

http://www.podiumpundits.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/homeless-bums-tramps41.gif

no way that dude has a sailboat

In his head he has, in his head

yeah i've got to admit, other than what imo would be a better soundtrack, all of these things sound pretty ace to me. Even (very specific parts of) Florida.

xxpostss

y'know like Jerry Jeff

my brother has one of those margaritaville perpetual concoction machines and I drank at his cottage whilst overlooking the lake. no complaints from me

yah basically isnt the whole balearic downtempo thing like this except folks dress better

Checked in with a friend on Wall Street- he suggested that even among middle-aged East Coast investment bankers, there's an attempt to seem hip, so that 50 Cent probably has a bigger following than Buffett. But that transplants from the southwest seem to love Buffett, and one banker from the southwest was a huge parrot head. And that guy his career rolled by the sharks at company. One superior specifically made him cancel a trip to a Buffett show to fuck with him. So, yeah, conservate, but conservatism with a tanned and friendly face.

Does the concept of "casual dining" exist in the UK?

do people still listen to russ conway in the u.k.? i always liked his leisurely album covers.

http://www.coolforever.com/temp/russconway_timetoplay_jeff_jan2008.jpg

lol you are trad dad

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2141/2521490516_e08f916a7b.jpg?v=0

Not really :(

That is a sweet cover tho.

I would live in shorts and sandals on a boat drinking Mai Tais all day given the chance.

Just basically take a young American guy who enjoys a good party and then grow him up into a middle-aged, middle-class American adult male, and then imagine the stuff he might like: it'd be nice to have your own boat, tell your jerk of a boss to shove it, sail down somewhere it's warm and just take 'er easy, get some cocktails on the beach, havin' some drinks, charmin' some ladies, you know, exotic island ladies or real classy types, it's all good, plus when you're drinking on the beach you never have to dress any better than you would if you were mowing your lawn, then maybe smoke a little weed now and then, up in your house there where it's warm, your own little piece of property, cuz you're an independent type, they can call you a bad-boy if they wanna, but you're just lookin' to take 'er easy and have some good times, hang out there with the characters down at the bar, hear some stories, tell some tales, sometimes have some buddies over and break out the old six-string and lay down a couple nice little tunes about how funny life can be and how nice it is to just take 'er easy, down somewhere it's warm.

Truly, truly one of the most OTM things I've ever read on ILM. Summarizes why I can't stand Jimmy Buffet. And The Eagles, for that matter.

Sorry to ask a stupid question, but is it pronounced Buffitt or Boo-fay? I've been reading through the thread getting more and more agitated over how I should be saying it to myself y'see.

buffit

buffett is a pretty specific FLA thing, though there are some elements of his style in middle-aged socal margarita drinkers too.

One superior specifically made him cancel a trip to a Buffett show to fuck with him.

bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

I love the Eagles but not as a nostalgia trip. Buffett is like a class reunion for middle-aged people who can't get out enough. He has a million songs, some are good, some are annoying as hell.

i.e. I'm not into that kind of thing, but then again you indie types have your annual indie festivals and maybe I just hate crowds and those ritual events that everyone "has to attend".

i think pinning this on males alone is really unfair. i work at a ballpark where cheap plastic neon-green 'mai tais' are sold to overly tanned women for $7 a pop

I think pinning it on "mid-life" is a bit unfair too. The guy was pretty young when he released "Margaritaville."

just sayin the parrothead life is pretty equal opportunity

― zzz (deej), Tuesday, July 7, 2009 1:05 PM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Predominately white tho

i feel like the words "Tommmy Bahama" should be represented in this thread.

just sayin the parrothead life is pretty equal opportunity

― zzz (deej), Tuesday, July 7, 2009

_____________________________________

Predominately white tho

― Whiney G. Weingarten, Tuesday, July 7, 2009

An understatement imo.

Josefa maybe it is bcz the only people I know who like him are 45+ years old?

http://37prime.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/1303_press_image_2.jpg

Stan tries to return his father's impulsively purchased Margaritaville blender. (I thought they were a South Park invention until I saw one at a store.)

The guy was pretty young when he released "Margaritaville."

and like 27 when he wrote "A Pirate Looks at 40" iirc

I am totally going to refer to him as Jimmy Boo-fay from now on

woah gis jimmy buffett concert is a real ride

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3136/2445980492_0470f92cef.jpg

birth mark

was that really necessary

i report, you decide

never underestimate the influence of modern commercial country radio...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp9Ftae0gN8

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/mexico_builds_border_wall_to_keep

He made it OK to have a mid-life crisis in your 20s. The man's a novelist too, let's not forget.

How can I forget what I never cared to learn?

Musically & image-wise he has at times verged on "tropical gangster" Kid Creole style, minus the dress code.

He's penned more top ten books than top ten songs. Three of his books went to #1. He is friends with but not related to Warren Buffett. How do you like him now?

wtf... http://www.gactv.com/gac/nw_headlines/article/0,,GAC_26063_5939987_,00.html

Oh my gosh it's a genuine Jimmy Buffett stan!

[iThat’s apparently the tragic outcome of an incident in Steamboat Springs, Colo., where an Iraq veteran died of head trauma after being beaten by two men, allegedly for playing Jimmy Buffett’s "Margaritaville."[/i]

next to: http://img.gactv.com/GAC/2006/10/02/jimmybuffett3_d.jpg 'hey guys!'

yah basically isnt the whole balearic downtempo thing like this except folks dress better

JEEZ NOT EVERYTHING IS BALEARIC YOU GUYS (except jimmy buffett)

Once I had to review a Jimmy Buffett concert at the local arena. I had a floor seat, and before his set about 400 beach balls were flying around the crowd. At first I gamely batted them away, but after a few minutes I said "fuck this" and stopped. About 8 balls collected on the floor near my seat. When the crowd got wind of this, they started booing me and throwing shit.

hahahahahaha

I always think of Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling when I think of Jimmy Buffett.

Predominately white tho

― Whiney G. Weingarten, Tuesday, July 7, 2009 4:11 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

some ppl get jimmy buffett, some get frankie beverly & maze

While the dude's music is completely indefensible and the two fans I've had the displeasure of knowing in my lifetime were complete and utter d-bags, the projection on this thread is a little weird. I mean, really, are the Buffett concert-goers really that much better or worse than the idiot scenesters that look forward to Pitchfork Fest every year so they can dress up in their most ironic t-shirts and comedy mustaches and get blitzed on Sparks and 312 while grooving to some tunes? I mean, maybe some perspective here.

tbh most of this thread hasn't really been that judgmental, buffet fans are just typed really easily.

I've had to review 4 Buffett concerts and generally believe the crowds to be far worse than Pitchfork scenesters or even Deadheads. It's more like a college football experience than a concert. I've never seen more people throwing up around me than one time on the lawn towards the end of a mid-90s Buffett show. Seriously, it's like 100 frat parties taking place at the same time. Of course I have no data to support this. I'm meh on his music but Buffett sure plays up the drunken-idiot thing on stage, when he could have gone in a more Steve Goodman-type direction years ago. No money in that!

I've actually been surprised at how many young folks I know who are/were into Jimmy Buffett. Twice while taking road trips in college, it turned out that one of my compatriots just wanted to listen to Buffett on the radio, like, the whole fucking time (it's not like I'm blameless—I was probably equally obnoxious with trying to dominate the stereo with This Heat and Wolf Eyes, leading to a compromise of Beta Band). One of my friends from high school has followed Buffett around on tour, and used to do that on his summers, and I recently worked with a guy who was a huge Buffett fan and had been since his teens. I think with a lot of younger guys, there's a weird aspirational thing with the music. Like, middle aged dudes can think, if only I'd lived my life a little differently, that could be me right now, which is a comforting fantasy, but a lot less weird to me than the idea that if I start working at it right now, someday I'll be able to live my life like Jimmy Buffett.

http://mmmpictures.com/eff/jump.jpg

"I'm meh on his music but Buffett sure plays up the drunken-idiot thing on stage"

reminds me of the time i saw guided by voices. is bob pollard the indie-buffett?

i don't think bp is selling a lifestyle, or at least one that anybody would want to be a part of.

hmmm i think i lived a guided by voices lifestyle in the late 90s following college for a few years

While the dude's music is completely indefensible and the two fans I've had the displeasure of knowing in my lifetime were complete and utter d-bags, the projection on this thread is a little weird. I mean, really, are the Buffett concert-goers really that much better or worse than the idiot scenesters that look forward to Pitchfork Fest every year so they can dress up in their most ironic t-shirts and comedy mustaches and get blitzed on Sparks and 312 while grooving to some tunes? I mean, maybe some perspective here.

― the sideburns are album-specific (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, July 8, 2009 7:01 AM (4 hours ago) Bookmark

ok who exactly is projecting here?

I was probably equally obnoxious with trying to dominate the stereo with This Heat and Wolf Eyes, leading to a compromise of Beta Band).

WORST. ROADTRIP. EVER.

hahahaha i wasn't gonna say anything.

look forward to Pitchfork Fest every year so they can dress up in their most ironic t-shirts and comedy mustaches and get blitzed on Sparks

Wait, we have Sparks now?

I don't know that it's an adolescent vision he's selling so much as classic mid-life-crisis male behavior but without the crisis.

I think part of why I said "take your young man and grow him up" is that it's sort of both adolescent and mid-life, similar to the way "mid-life crisis behavior" is about a connection between adolescence and mid-life. Like the adolescent dreams of having the boat (or the sports car) and taking it easy; the adult wants to own the boat (or the sports car) and take it easy, in a real-world adult way. Which is surely a lot of why the Buffett party vibe can appeal to business owners and parents and "conservative" types, because it's in no way incompatible with visions like, say, hanging out barefoot on a boat with a cocktail in your hand while you check up on some stock trades on your laptop. It's good-time visions are sort of similar to adolescent-party good times, only in the form you get them after you're adult and reasonably successful and use your Amex card to book the flight down to the Caribbean or own the boat or run the bar tab. I think this is kind of cool, actually, but then I'm a big believer in people we consider uncool/boring/normal having valid good-time visions just like everyone else. Just talking about this is making me think it'd be sort of great to own a nice place with a patio and a pool where I could invite people over and stand in front of the grill in a Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops. But then I'm older than I used to be and it's summer.

I say all that in the spirit of this, which is really OTM:

tbh most of this thread hasn't really been that judgmental, buffet fans are just typed really easily.

My sister and brother-in-law are huge Buffett fans. They met in college because one of them was wearing some Parrothead shirt and the other one went up and introduced themself. They own a boat, love the beach, are pretty laid back, are pretty liberal overall, nice people, not big fans of pants and shoes when they can be avoided, and go to at least one Buffett show every year with a margarita ball and friends while wearing grass skirts and shit.

I wore a hawaiian shirt when I stood in their wedding, no joke. And my mom actually invited Jimmy Buffett but alas he did not attend, but he sent a signed photo wishing them well.

so it was an orthodox parrothead wedding?

My old boss who retired a few years ago was a big Parrothead. At his fancy retirement party, in front of a few hundred people in a plush ballroom, he concluded his farewell-to-the-troops speech by stripping off his suit, dress shirt, and tie to reveal a Hawaiian shirt and bright yellow shorts. He's living in Florida now, of course.

hahahahahahah

that is amazing.

ok who exactly is projecting here?

Not so fun when your the target demo, huh? I kid, but I was trying to prove my point. From the outside, almost any group of "fans" can look pretty fucking stupid.

ust talking about this is making me think it'd be sort of great to own a nice place with a patio and a pool where I could invite people over and stand in front of the grill in a Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops.

my boss has a pool and it's the best ever

We gave him a subscription to the Beer of the Month club as a retirement gift and for months he sent us e-mails about it: "Drinking this beer and thinking of you all." A scholar and a gentleman.

From the outside, almost any group of "fans" can look pretty fucking stupid.

um, thanks for showing us?

wkiw brad c.'s old boss

Jesus, I was just trying to point out how fucking petty it was for people to spend half the thread reducing anyone ever into Jimmy Buffett to ridiculous stereotypes.

come on, if you have a parrot on your head you are fair game for ridicule. it's in the bible!

"hahahaha i wasn't gonna say anything."

Dude, it's ILX. When I set up like that, I'm almost disappointed when no one finishes. (And actually, both the trips were pretty good. I learned long ago that nearly no one shares my particular tastes in music, so I try not to dismiss people just because they listen to what I think is crap.)

I liked Jimmy Buffett a lot, having heard only one of his songs, before I realized the song I liked was actually by Rupert Holmes. Wrong drink.

This fan video is kind of rad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVdhZwK7cS8

Abbot, I think you'd like Rupert Holmes. He's probably closer to Steely Dan than Buffet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBes4lVbKe8

More Rupert, and I think this song has keytar!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAF0YD_jdEQ&feature=related

Jon, I can't help but feel like you're taking a bold stand against "attempting to describe things" and "trying to evenhandedly sum up a cultural group" and "anecdotes about who likes certain things"

I saw the Breeders play at an open-air sports bar in around 1992 and in-between bands they played Jimmy Buffet's Greatest Hits. Since it was a long wait we heard the album about three times. The crowd got pretty angry and people were chanting "Turn this shit off" and "Fuck Jimmy Buffet." Ironically, many of these people were drunk--just like Jimmy Buffet is right now.

It means that someone at the bar has a sense of humor. Either that or there was a mismatch between audience and bar. I think that is hilarious. Get a life.

"get a life" not directed at the poster, but the drunks complaining.