2008 Woodie Awards
Parrotheads follow Buffett to Fenway Park
Jenn O'Callaghan
Issue date: 9/22/04 Section: Arts
Jimmy Buffett's "License to Chill" tour made a historic two-night stop at Fenway Park which proved, at age 57, Jimmy Buffett still knows how to throw a great party for his fans.
Buffett fans, often known as "parrotheads," arrived at Fenway with colorful clothes, Hawaiian shirts, grass skirts, lei necklaces, parrot hats, beach balls and inflatable sharks which have become a staple of Buffett's shows.
While the usual tailgating celebrations that fill the parking lots and areas around Buffett concerts were banned in Boston, it did not seem to stop fans from having fun, even before the show started.
Several local clubs and bars hosted parties to attract Buffett fans before the show, some starting more than three hours before the concert. For fans that had tickets to the show, they were also able to congregate on Yawkey Way prior to its start.
Unlike last year's Bruce Springsteen concert, when Yawkey Way was not shut down for fans. This served as another place for Buffett's fans to gather, eat, drink and share stories about past Buffett concerts.
The stage was in the outfield and featured tiki-style beach umbrellas and an island-like backdrop with palm trees and the sun. There were two large screens one on each side of the stage.
The screens provided close-ups of Buffett, the Coral Reefer Band, dancers and even the crowd.
It was also used to show pre-recorded images to go along with the songs.
Some of the images included clips of Buffett when he was younger, some of Buffett's rarely seen music videos, tailgating parties and images of things near and dear to many Bostonians hearts. These images included clips of Boston Red Sox players.
Both Friday and Sunday nights shows were sold-out. They featured slightly different sets, but shared a strong party-like atmosphere.
Both shows featured many of Buffett's hits, plus a few of the new songs on his License to Chill CD. During both shows, fans were on their feet and singing along with songs like "Cheeseburger in Paradise," "Five O'Clock Somewhere," "Fins" and "Margaritaville" which has become known as the national anthem of "parrotheads."