Buffettville on the Boardwalk

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Beyond entertaining a packed crowd of Parrotheads at Boardwalk Hall, Buffett plugged his upcoming Margaritaville project at Resorts

By Lori Hoffman

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Aug. 5, 2012

A week after announcing his Margaritaville brand would be coming to Resorts next year, Jimmy Buffet performed for Parrotheads and others at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Sat., Aug. 4. (Photos by Donald Kravitz)

Photo by Donald Kravitz

Strolling on the historic Boardwalk Hall stage Saturday night, wearing his usual concert attire of T-shirt, beach shorts and no shoes, Jimmy Buffett, the world’s most popular beach bar bandleader, presented the musical party known as Margaritaville to the flock of devoted Parrotheads who packed the Hall.

This scene is repeated wherever Buffett goes to perform, whether to a land-locked town in the Midwest or a concert in L.A. He always makes the show personal to that particular city, with lyrics updated in each town to reflect its particular flavor, a lot more work and devotion to his fans everywhere beyond the standard, “Hello Cleveland!”

His night in Atlantic City had even more of this local flavor. Ever the savvy businessman, Buffett announced last week that his company would be bringing a Margaritaville themed complex to the Boardwalk at Resorts, including a Margaritaville Restaurant, Five O’clock Somewhere Bar, retail stores, Land Shark Bar and Grill and a year-round beach bar complex. Watch the video.

He reminded his fans of that throughout the night, truly excited about his upcoming collaboration and tickled that Parrotheads would have a permanent roost in a beach town that he seems to have a genuine affection for.

This was my first Buffett concert, so call me a Parrothead-in-training. I was property astounded by the wall of sound he brings with him, 11 bandmates including steel drums and congas to enhance the beach vibe, and a petal steel guitar to add the country component of his Gulf & Western sound.

His stage set includes the largest video screen set-up I have ever seen. It covered the entire back wall of the Boardwalk Hall stage, which is huge, providing pristine HD backgrounds including the Weeki Wachee Springs mermaids with Buffett joining them for a dive, Buffett out sailing and several shots of the Atlantic City skyline and Steel Pier.

Let’s see what am I missing? Oh, yes, the music. Buffett chatted and sang his way through his major musical milestones like “Son of a Son of a Sailor,” “Come Monday,” and “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.”

For “Margaritaville,” he added Atlantic City-centric lyrics that included references to the Boardwalk, Steel Pier and Nucky Thompson, and extended the song by weaving “Under the Boardwalk” into a delightful medley.

(Parrotheads Rebecca Smith of Basking Ridge, NJ. and Allison Byron of Attleboro, Mass.)

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