Last summer, I finally accomplished something off of my lifelong bucket list when, as a graduation present, I finally got tickets to see a Jimmy Buffett concert. However, I was unaware that Buffett concerts are different in culture and festivities compared to any other concert. It was quite a learning curve understanding the festivities of what happens when you go into Margitaville and see Buffett. You will only understand these unique and unusual traditions if you have been to a Jimmy Buffett concert before.
1. About 75% of the audience is dressed up in Hawaiian shirts:
Island music and culture is an essential element of Jimmy Buffett's songs. To be festive with the music being played, many people will dress up as if they are vacationing at an all-inclusive resort in Hawaii. Those who dress preppy at a Buffett concert will appear to be an outcast as these concerts are more of a party style than a fancy show.
2. You need to arrive to the concert well before the opener begins. Finding good parking is a very difficult task because of all the RVs coming in.
Diehard Buffett fans express their passion for Buffett's music by attending nearly every concert they can go to. Yes, there probably are diehards for every band and artist. However, Buffett diehards are a different type of diehard fans. Often times, groups of these fans will bring an RV to wherever the concert is being held, get to the venue maybe four hours before the gates even open, and participate in a massive tailgate. Therefore, most of the parking spots in the front of the lot are occupied by the diehards parking their RV's and roaming the lot with their tailgate festivities. Leaving little room for other fans to find parking spaces in a safe matter. If by chance you do find a spot in the front near the RV's, you still don't park there. Many of those tailgaters drink a little more than they should and you do not want to take the risk of one of them damaging your car should they choose to drive under the influence.
3. No matter how early you arrive, it will take forever to make it past security.
As I mentioned earlier, many of the Buffett tailgaters drink a little too much before the concert. Obviously everybody has to make it past the security checkpoint in the front of the venue to even get into the concert. Unfortunately, this takes much longer to get through then it would at another concert. Due to the excessive drinking by the tailgaters before the concert, there will be some people who struggle making it past security. Primarily because they are too drunk to understand what the simple tasks they have to do at the security checkpoint are. Which in turn ends up causing much havoc for everybody who just wants to enter the venue and just get to their seats. My advice for anybody going to a Buffett concert more casually is to attempt to get through security as early as you can, maybe even an hour before the opener begins. Drunk people at these concerts will always take up too much of your time trying to make it past the security line.
4. Beach balls just come rapidly flying everywhere throughout the venue.
In another attribution to Hawaiian and island culture, the concert literally becomes a massive beach party once Jimmy Buffett hops onto the scene. Beach balls are tossed and thrown all over inside the venue. All you need to do is just to hit whatever balls come at you throughout the show. Even if you have seats in one of the back rows like I did where you don't think you will catch any beach balls headed in your direction, trust me you will find some beachballs creeping up that way.
5. There is going to be that one guy who just falls asleep during the concert.
Yes, this inevitably occur to someone at a Buffett concert. Because of the excess alcohol, one guy who was in the same area as I was at the concert just fell asleep. Quite the value in what you paid for isn't it? If you want to pay for an expensive nap, a Jimmy Buffett concert is the place to do that.
6. If you want any type of snacks or drinks, you have to go well before Buffett starts performing, and it's not the reason you think.
At most concerts, you probably could go up and get some food then come back five minutes later and not miss much. You won't get away with this at a Buffett concert. Paramedics rush the scene in the balcony and in the aisles since some people will inevitably need immediate medical assistance because they overdrink. Every few minutes Paramedics are rushing all over the place just to save somebody. And there is no getting through them in favor of receiving that hot dog in a quicker amount of time.
7. There will be at least one person who doesn't wear any shirt during the concert... And looks totally disorientated with their dress during the concert.
This guy who was sitting in front of me got a little too disorientated from his drinking. Appearantly, he felt it would be a good idea to take his shirt off while his pants were obviously too oversized. This caused an awkard scene for me the rest of the concert as the top of the buttcrack of this guy was visible. I had to spend the rest of my time at this concert having the view of this man's butt in front of me. Only at a Buffett concert would something like this happen.
8. You leave the concert at least ten minutes before it ends just to get out alive.
Getting out of that parking lot may be just as big of a nightmare as getting into the parking lot is. Traffic overcrowds the lot when it's all over, and at least a few of those drivers are too intoxicated to be driving. You'll be waiting for maybe an hour just to leave the concert safely if you stay until the very end. Getting out quick and alive at a Buffett concert calls for an early departure.
Despite the flaws and unusal things, going to a Jimmy Buffett concert is definitely one of the most amazing life experiences I've had so far in my life. Hopefully one day I'll be one of those tailgaters myself!
