So before you read any further, go back and read the first paragraph of this, It appears that if you really want something to happen you need only to write it down. And perhaps chant it with some ohms every day. And brainwash your four best friends into believing they want it too! Whatever, it seemed to work.
This year's Jimmy Buffett road trip did indeed take us to Alpine Valley Music Theater in Elkhorn,Wisconsin.
To some that may seem a little extreme but to the five of us it was just another zany adventure; we seem to thrive on them! So here's how it all stacked up.
Leading up to the actual concert weekend, I was very busy following several
Buffett fan pages on Facebook to get the lay of the land at Alpine. It helped that the Alpine show was the last show of the summer so I was able to get many helpful tips beforehand. The overwhelming vibe I got was that Alpine Valley was
the place to see my hero. Great tailgating, great venue, friendly people and Jimmy likes playing there. I was about to experience it for myself and I was pretty darn excited about it.
So were they correct? Yes, yes, yes and hell yes!
So what follows is a pictorial guide the great Jimmy Buffett adventure of 2015. Welcome to Margaritaville. Please fasten your seat-belts and keep your hands inside the car until the ride has come to a complete and total stop!
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| Traffic in Chicago didn't deter us. |
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The eclectic artist retreat we rented
This place deserves a blog post all it's own - it was so cool inside
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| Friday night - breaking out the Jell-O shots |
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| Hanging out at the tiki bar |
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| The ultimate sandals - thanks Michele |
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| Earring indecision led to this! |
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| Heading to the pre-concert party at Hemingway's |
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| Under the bus loaded with tailgate gear |
So, a couple of things about the Jimmy Buffett phenomenon known as tailgating. It is an art. It is unlike any other tailgating I have ever seen, like at college or professional football games. Everyone has their own definition of Margaritaville and many try to bring it to life in parking lots before a Buffett concert.
My friends and I are more or less spectators. We spend the hours before the concert wandering the parking lot and checking out all the action. We take Jell-O shots with us to use as our offering as we make new friends and often partake in their drinks or party games. Jell-O shots are the universal currency at a Buffett tailgate.
So, you may be thinking that this is just a big drunken binge and to many it is. But to the great majority of the folks there, it is purely an escape. As you wander around checking out tiki huts and bars decorated with sharks and parrots and pirates, you can't help but live in the moment. You can't be thinking about work, or whether the laundry is done or what's for dinner. As Jimmy says "There's just too much to see waiting in front of me, and I know that I just can't go wrong." You escape. And that is before you even step foot into the music venue itself.
Perfect day for a tailgate party
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| New friends everywhere you turn |
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| Parrothead flags were flying everywhere |
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| Me with a Wisconsin Cheese Fin Head |
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| As far as the eye can see |
These photos were all taken in one of four (or maybe five) huge parking lots so imagine this multiplied by four. I kept saying to my friends that these were "my people" and I felt totally at home in all the mayhem. I'd like to be able to somehow go back and re-see it all for the first time because it is an incredible and fun thing to see.
Eventually, we made our way into the venue to stake out our spot on the lawn.
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| Waiting for the show to begin |
Huey Lewis and the News opened the show for Jimmy and they were great. The crowd was totally into them and they set the stage perfectly for JB and the Coral Reefers.
Finally, it was time for the reason for the trip - it was time for Jimmy to take the stage. No matter how many times I have seen Jimmy play (and I think that number is around 50, btw) I never tire of hearing him sing. And it's not that the man has a great voice, he says it himself, he doesn't. What he is is a great storyteller. And he is humble and funny and oh so thankful to the crowd for allowing him to have the greatest summer job ever. And then he takes us away to all the places in the songs and once more, we can escape - if only for a few more hours before having to face reality again.
And that my friends, is a wrap. Jimmy Buffett 2015 is on the books and a good time was had by all!
