Parrotheads started partying before the start of the show at the 10,000-seat arena.
Jimmy BuffetUNCASVILLE, Conn. – Jimmy Buffet ushered in the start of summer Tuesday night when he brought his current Lounging in the Lagoon Tour to the Mohegan Sun Arena.
“School’s out and we’re starting the weekend early,” he told the nearly-sold out audience at the 10,000-seat arena as he barefooted it across the stage for a two-hour plus concert of tropical feel-good, fun music with his 11-member Coral Reefer Band.
Today, you can judge the longtime popularity of aging artists – Buffet is 65 – by the number of canes at a show. And there were plenty in the audience. But this wasn’t just a concert for oldsters. Buffet fans cross the spectrum of ages, including as young as a toddler at last night’s concert who danced in the aisle all-decked out in tropical garb.
While the concert was set for 7:30 p.m., the party began even earlier at the Connecticut casino as Parrotheads gathered outside for a tailgate party featuring grass skirts, Hawaiian shirts, coconut bras, grilled food and plenty of margaritas.
When the party moved indoors into the arena, fans were met with a lagoon-themed stage that featured a huge video backdrop projecting images of mermaids, boat-filled harbors, beaches and crashing waves that made it appear at times as if they were performing on a stage set up on a beach.
The night kicked off with the Buffet favorite, “One Particular Harbour,” from 1983 and moved through a bevy of his hits and crowd pleasers including “Hey Good Lookin,’” “Volcano,” “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” and “Margaritaville,” which brought everyone to their feet.
The evening also included an acoustic trifecta featuring “Pencil Thin Mustache,” “Southern Cross” and “Piece of Work,” with even background singer Tina Gullickson, who joined the Coral Reefer Band in 1995, grabbing a guitar and sitting center stage for the set, which ironically was loudly amplified despite being “acoustic.”
The Reefer’s other vocalist, Nadirah Shakoor, took center stage to solo on “King of Somewhere” from the album “Hot Water.” Buffet wrote the song with longtime Coral Reefer Ralph MacDonald and dedicated it to the popular percussionist who died last year.
The last song of the evening before the encore was a rousing version of Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long.” Buffet recently recorded the song on Richie’s new duet album “Tuskegee,” which puts a country twist to his popular hits.
Buffet and his band returned to the stage for some five songs more that began with just him on stage along with Trinidad-born Robert Greenidge on steel drums for the song “Chanson Pour Les Petits Enfants.” The last song of the night, the much anticipated song “Fins,” had the audience in typical style raising their hands above their heads forming makeshift shark fins and swaying from left to right.
With the appearance of an inflated toy shark bouncing its way through the audience during the song, the “beach” was declared closed until Buffet returns for his next concert at the casino.
And, he likely will return since the casino houses his popular restaurant Margaritaville.