Bristow’s biggest party of the year commenced at 3 p.m. on Saturday when Jiffy Lube Live opened the gates to thousands of Parrotheads from around the country, who came to celebrate since the venue lifted its ban on tailgating in January.
Concertgoers didn’t let the increased presence of security and police hamper the spirit of Jimmy Buffet’s annual Labor Day concert. Parrotheads were here to party!
And the party kicked into high gear at 8:11 p.m. Amidst a flurry of flying beach balls, Jimmy Buffett took to the stage, proclaiming “I love a weekend show,” and then launched into “One Particular Harbor," with beautiful blue mermaids swimming behind him on the scene in bright blue waters.
As one would expect, the stage was decked out in tropical flavor with moving images of palm trees blowing in the breeze and sun reflecting off the ocean water, promoting the sense of an enduring vacation and cultivating the "Lounging at the Lagoon" atmosphere.
Buffett’s declaration, “We’re here. No hurricane. Tailgating party. The way it should be,” received a rousing approval from his largely middle-aged fans. It was one of several references to his ill-fated 2011 appearance at Jiffy Lube Live in which fans braved a Hurricane Irene-rescheduled concert and the newly-enacted tailgating ban at the venue.
After performing the jazz-tinged “You’ll Never Work in Dis Bidness Again,” Buffett reassured the audience that he brought his own version of FEMA to Bristow and offered “The Weather is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful.”
Buffett’s set covered his concert staples including “Growing Older but Not Up,” “Son of a Son of a Sailor,” and crowd favorite “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” (which Buffett dedicated to DC and Virginia fans).
Buffet, who frequently interacted with the audience throughout the show, returning beach balls and acknowledging the fans, was sincere when he promised, “We’re making up for last year.”
The crowd responded to his pleas to keep the costumes on and continue the party through Tuesday as a prelude to “Come Monday.”
After “Knee Deep,” a cover of the Blue Hawaiians “Swingin’ Hula Girl,” and “Savannah Fare You Well,” he informed the audience that he would continue the theme of natural disasters with “Volcano.”
“I’m the only one to write a happy song about volcanoes,” Buffett said.
While for the first time in the show, the crowd retreated to their seats during this set; however, they quickly stood when Buffett announced, “Let’s make us some cheeseburgers!"
Perhaps one of the most popular moments in the evening, the audience sang along with Buffett’s seminal “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” after which he named his restaurant chain.
At the conclusion of the song, he pondered aloud if perhaps he should introduce a new concept to the DC Metro area.
“Crab Cake Sandwich in Paradise, that can work; I’ll do that next year,” he said.
Joking aside, Buffett also revealed some sentimental moments throughout the show.
When backup singer Nadirah Shakoor took the lead on the song “King of Somewhere Hot,” he acknowledged the song’s co-writer Ralph MacDonald, who succumbed to lung cancer in December 2011.
Furthermore, this song served as a transition to the band’s acoustic set, which Buffett equated to sitting on porch playing guitar like Andy Griffith used to on TV.
“The spirits are moving us tonight,” he said. “I told you!”
This stripped-down ensemble performed Will Kimbrough’s “Piece of Work,” “Pencil Thin Mustache,” and a very popular cover of Crosby, Stills, and Nash’s “Southern Cross.”
However, soon the show would reach its pinnacle as the band geared up to deliver sincere renditions of “Mermaid in the Night,” “Who’s the Blonde Stranger,” and “A Pirate Looks at Forty” and finally at 9:52 p.m., the song the crowd was waiting for, “Margaritaville.”
Buffett traditionally localizes his anthem to Key West living with new lyrics about the place he performs it. Bristow as no exception, as “Margaritaville’s” opening chords quickly transformed from “Nibblin' on sponge cake,” into “Living on crab cakes.” While he referenced Hurricane Irene (“Hurricane on Tuesday won’t stop us this year”), tailgating, the Redskins, Washington politics, and even his 2011 stage mishap in Australia, it was “Nationals kicking ass at the playoffs this year,” that received the biggest reaction from the audience.
He capped his regular set with an adaptation of “All Night Long,” (complete with a taped vocal track of Lionel Richie), which kept the audience dancing until the stage went dark.
Although the party did not go on all night long, Buffett and The Coral Reefer Band returned for a lengthy encore that included a cover of Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl.”
It’s obvious that he loves Northern Virginia fans as he commits to playing Jiffy Lube Live each Labor Day weekend. Although this was the last date in this summer's tour, he committed to next year and promised “Fireworks and more clichés.”
So, where’s Jimmy gonna go when the volcano blows? Bristow!
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