Date: Fri 03-Sep-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Quick Words:

Buffett-Meadows-Cronkite

Full Text:

CONCERT REVIEW: A Trip To The Moon, Via Margaritaville

BY SHANNON HICKS

HARTFORD -- Not many people or events could probably be a strong enough pull

to get Walter Cronkite out of retirement and back into a news chair.

But then again, Jimmy Buffett isn't your run-of-the-mill person. When Buffett

begins plans for each of his summer tours, his "summer job," he goes all out

in putting together the kind of package that is going to entertain his flock

of followers not only musically but with a full-scale production.

This year, Buffett's touring revue brought out songs from the

singer-songwriter's closet that were coupled with a "trip to the moon" theme.

With a new album called Beach House on the Moon , this year's show followed a

story line that had Buffett, his band and their fans preparing for, launching

to and visiting the moon.

When the Buffett tour bus pulled off I-91 last Tuesday morning, fans were

already lined up along Savitt Way in Hartford, dressed in everything from

grass skirts and straw hats to parrot suits and all things tropical; sane and

far-overboard insane. One guy was even seen in a Viking style hat, which is

far-removed from the calm theme of tropics and parrots, but no one seemed to

mind it. At Margaritaville, anything goes.

By concert time on August 31, over 30,000 Parrot Heads had once again

converged on the Meadows Music Theatre for Buffett's fifth straight sold-out

appearance at the theatre. Inside the venue's pavilion area, a race clock was

counting down the time left before "lift-off," and ticket holders were treated

to a live broadcast from radiomargaritaville.com, with songs that included

Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me To The Moon" and David Bowie's "Space Oddity," all in

keeping the theme of the evening.

The show was a bright package of lights and fun, all tied together with the

ribbon that is Jimmy Buffett. His entrance this year was a little calmer than

usual -- in the past he has taken the stage from between the pages of an

oversize yearbook, or from within an inflatable parrot that emerged from an

immense television set -- in that there was a narrator who announced that

Hemisphere Dancer (one of Buffett's sea planes) would soon be taking off,

followed by a great flashing of strobe lights; and down came the curtain that

had been hiding the stage.

Calm entrance or not though, Buffett turned on the volume and put on another

wonderful show that included past favorites like "Grapefruit-Juicy Fruit"

(which was actually sung back to him by the audience), "Coconut Telegraph,"

"Son of A Son of A Sailor," "Stars on the Water," "Brown-Eyed Girl" and

"Volcano," newer songs including "School Boy Heart" and "Lage Nom-Ai," and

even a few from the new album, among them "Waiting for the Next Explosion" and

"I Will Play for Gumbo."

With Beach House on the Moon , Buffett has reached yet another milestone in

his long career. The album represents the musician's 30th studio release.

A favorite of tours for a number of years, the performance of "Changes in

Latitude, Changes in Attitude" featured a video montage that had been put

together Tuesday afternoon and evening. While Buffett and his band, The Coral

Reefers, performed the song, a video montage of people and scenes from the

afternoon's tailgate parties was broadcast on the venue's video screens.

What is fun about Buffett shows, in addition to all the preshow festivities in

the parking lots by fans, is the annual theme that ties the show together from

beginning to end. Buffett once again used his songs Tuesday night to help

guide the audience -- his crew mates, he kept calling them -- through launch

preparation, the flight and landing, and their visit to the moon.

During the sets, there were video interludes where the audience was given

updates on the status of their "trip" to the moon. Buffett's crew used the

large video screens to the side of the stage along with the screens that were

beaming out to the lawn seats to their full advantage.

Up on the screen was no less than Walter Cronkite himself, on a break from

retirement, announcing updates concerning the trip. The reports were

tongue-in-cheek, but delivered with Mr Cronkite's familiar seriousness -- as

serious as one could present something while dressed in a navy blue Hawaiian

print shirt, anyway.

For Jimmy Buffett and his Parrot Heads, nothing but the best will ever do.

There aren't too many people who would say "No" to a request from Buffett and

an opportunity to join the fun and zaniness that seems to surround him

wherever he goes. Even Walter Cronkite has to enjoy a visit to Margaritaville

once in a while.