Skateboarding Parrot Stolen

An unwelcomed intruder has bird-napped a beloved, skateboarding parrot from his cage in front of his owner's home in Baldwin Park, CA Wednesday morning.

A neighbor's security camera next to Fred Mireles' home recorded the crime in progress.
Surveillance video captured loud shrieks from Gordo the Parrot as the 30-year-old bird was taken from his cage just after 10 a.m.

Gordo is a well-known icon in the Baldwin Park neighborhood.

Gordo's owner Fred Mireles often takes the bird on walks with his skateboard.
"He's not your regular bird. He's like a little kid," Mireles said.

Mireles just wants Gordo back and hopes a tipster will come forward with information about the incident.

If you have any information about incident, contact the Baldwin Park Police Department at (626) 960-1955.

AmphiCoach can get you to Alpine Valley

It's a Bus?

It's a Boat?

Well the AmphiCoach GTS1 is actually both and looks like the most kick-ass Jimmy Buffett tailgate bus that you will ever see.

The Coaches hulls are built using 6mm Marine Grade Aluminium (Hydro 5083). This is the best suited material for this application, due to its lightweight and superior strength qualities. The uniquely designed watertight compartmented hull design includes collision bulkheads which help to make the coach relatively unsinkable. In the unlikely event that the hull is breached or swamped, the vehicle will remain completely upright and afloat, making it in our opinion and of our experts surveyors, the safest amphibious passenger vehicle in the world.

The Amphicoach utilises a marine jet drive unit specifically designed for the amphicoach by one of the worlds leading manufacturer in jet propulsion, this is driven by the vehicles main power plant. An electric propulsion system is also available, and is the ultimate in green power for areas which would benefit from the silence and zero emission levels achieved from this technology. This would still provide equal performance to the standard marine propulsion. An onboard whisper quiet generator is incorporated into the drive train, so that the vehicle can be used as long as required without any loss of power. The system is then recharged by a high powered alternator system whilst on the road segment of the journey.

Bikini Body Shots

A body shot is a shot of alcohol (such as tequila) that is consumed off of a person's body, usually from erogenous zones such as the navel or the breasts.

Rum cream, a Jamaican original, is considered an ideal liquor for body shots since it has the consistency of Bailey's Irish Cream, therefore lingering in the erogenous areas longer before "running south," enabling a longer licking time.

In one version of the body shot, the person taking the shot holds a shot glass of tequila in one hand, while the person giving the shot holds a wedge of lime (or lemon) in his or her mouth. The person taking the shot then licks a body part of his or her choosing on the person giving the shot, sprinkles salt on that body part, and then licks the salt off of the body part. He or she then downs the tequila and then takes the citrus wedge out of the subject's mouth using only his or her mouth.

Another version of the body shot requires licking the partner's body as the shot runs down them. In example, the person having liquor poured on them lays on a table, floor, or any other flat surface, slightly propped up, leaning on an arm perhaps. The person taking the shot positions him or herself around the belt buckle. A third person then pours the shot slowly into the navel of the person laying down, and the person taking the shot must lick or suck the liquor up before it runs into the clothes of the person laying down. This can also be done on the breasts, and with practice, the thighs, penis or buttocks.

This practice can be very arousing if done correctly. In some cultures it is a form of foreplay.

Jimmy Buffett Coconut Bra

A coconut bra is a bra that is made out of half shells of a coconut. Generally, these bras are associated with temperate regions of the North Pacific and South Pacific, including Hawaii, Polynesian areas and other various archipelagos dotting the region. Today, the coconut bra is mainly used as a novelty item in themed parties.

While at some point in the past there may have been a practical use of the coconut bra, this is no longer the case. Softer, more flexible, and more supportive materials have taken the place of the coconut bra. While in the past, islanders may have had to use whatever resources they had on the island, a globalization of the economy has ensured that is no longer the case.

Manufacturing a coconut bra comes from the harvesting of coconuts, which comes from certain species of palm trees. While not every palm tree will produce coconuts, the ones that do usually produce a fair number of them. It only takes one coconut to make a complete coconut bra.

Once the coconuts have been harvested, the next step is to prepare the coconut to be used as a bra. Doing this involves splitting the coconut in half horizontally, then drying the coconut. Once it is tried, holes can then be bored into several parts for the attaching of the string or whatever other material will be used hold the coconut bra cups to the body.

While coconut bras may be considered bra alternatives, they are generally not for practical use. They are extremely uncomfortable and not very flexible. Therefore, they are very rarely used when comfort is the main concern. However, there could be other situations where the coconut bra is a bra of choice.

When going to parties where the theme is important, the coconut bra can be a very interesting conversation piece. Those who do not want to buy a coconut bra may decide to purchase a shell bra. Both are generally the same concept; they simply use different materials for the bra cup.

Those who are in the market for a coconut bra may want to consider trying to be fitted in person, rather than ordering online or through a catalog. Due to the inflexible material, choosing an exact size is important. Otherwise, it could become quite painful, or at least very uncomfortable, to the wearer. If being fitted in person is not possible, then it is wise to make sure it is ordered well ahead of time, in case returning it becomes necessary.

2008 Stephen C. Smith Memorial Regatta

The SCSMR is for the benefit of the American Cancer Society in memory of Stephen Smith, a local sailor who died from a rare form of leukemia at the age of 29.

Jimmy Buffett Virgin

Ah, a Buffett virgin.

So sweet, so pure, so full of promise....

A Virgin (or maiden) is, originally, a woman who has never had sexual intercourse. Virginity is the state of being a virgin. It is derived from the Latin virgo, which means "sexually inexperienced woman", used typically of adolescents, but also of older women, and even goddesses.

As in Latin, the English word is also often used with wider reference, by relaxing the age, gender or sexual criteria. Hence, more mature women can be virgins (The Virgin Queen), men can be virgins, and potential initiates into many fields can be colloquially termed virgins, for example a Jimmy Buffett "virgin". In the last usage, virgin simply means uninitiated.

Also by extension from its primary sense, the idea that a virgin has an emotional "blank slate", without complications for her potential intimate emotional life with men, leads to the abstraction of unadulterated purity (see below). Hence, virgin can even be used with non-human referents. Unalloyed metal is sometimes described as virgin. Some cocktails can be described as virgin, when lacking the alcoholic admixture. Similarly, olive oil may be called virgin if it contains no refined oil and has an acidity below 2%, or extra-virgin if it comes from a cold pressing with an acidity below .08%.

The last instance also incorporates yet another association of virginity—the notability of its loss. More properly, the association is with the significance of the addition of a new status, rather than a loss. Hence this association is typically found in references to the first instance of a potentially extended series of like events. Just as extra-virgin olive oil is from the first pressing, so a maiden or virgin speech is an incumbent's first address. The same metaphor, using the synonym maiden, is applied to the first or maiden voyage of a ship. A woman's maiden name is the surname she had when she was (presumed to be) a virgin—her first surname. In cricket, a maiden over is an over from which no runs were scored. Maiden Castles are those with the reputation of never having been captured.

Every girl remembers her first....

June 10, 2006
Alpine Valley, WI

Credit to Gbfan for picture.

Jimmy Buffett Alpine Valley Tailgate 2006

Thanks to Gbfan for checking in from Alpine Valley.

That poll dancing activity looks like it was fun!

June 10, 2006

Alpine Valley, WI

John Rich: Shuttin Detroit Down Video

The Buffett Book normally avoids politics but we have deeply rooted history, family and livelihoods with deep roots in the industrial midwest and the American auto industry. It's sad that's it's come to this but this area of the country and industry still plays a vital role in the employment of millions of people.

Everyone seems to have an opinion and we respect that.

John Rich of Big $ Rich fame has a new record with his spin on it as well.

We say job well done and thanks for the support.

If you do need a new car or truck and you have not been in a domestic showrom in a while, make sure you give the guys from GM, Ford and Chrysler an honest shot.

Jimmy Buffett, Mogul Of Margaritaville

By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS Associated Press Writer

LAS VEGAS (AP) - It's like the world's biggest beach party, hosted by the world's richest beach bum. The 15,000 fans packing the sold-out MGM Grand arena were enjoying the final concert of the season by Jimmy Buffett, the singer whose popularity and fortune grow greater even as his hair grows grayer.

Buffett, who turned 62 on Christmas Day, long ago became an icon of certain baby boomers - perhaps the least-hip demographic in the country - by offering the dream of throwing off their responsibilities for his tropical party vibe. But in the past decade, this chronicler of Margaritaville has really cashed in on his image.
How big is Buffett? With an estimated annual income of more than $40 million, you might mistake his portfolio for that of Warren Buffett (not a relative). And he's done it by sailing beyond most musicians' ticket, T-shirt and poster revenue stream.
The title of his most popular song is showing up on restaurants, clothing, booze and casinos. Among the products he's involved with are Landshark Lager, the Margaritaville and Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant chains, clothing and footwear, household items and drink blenders. The Margaritaville cafe on the Las Vegas strip is said to be the top grossing restaurant in the nation. Buffett writes best-selling novels. There's Radio Margaritaville on Sirius. Even his recording career is booming as the music industry tanks: His recent album, "License to Chill," was the first No. 1 album of his career.

In October, Buffett was chosen by Vanity Fair as No. 97 on a list of the 100 most influential people. In the world. He's nestled between Universal Music Group CEO Doug Morris and anti-poverty crusader Jeffrey Sachs. But the exact scope of the Parrot Head empire is secret. Buffett's privately held Margaritaville Holdings LLC does not publicly disclose its finances, and his publicists declined numerous requests for interviews with the singer or anyone connected with Miami-based Margaritaville Holdings.

"He wants to be known as an artist and musician, but he's an extremely savvy businessman," said Brian Hiatt, an associate editor for Rolling Stone who covers the concert industry.

Buffett is somewhat unique among aging crooners in that his fan base is broad, and is not tied solely to a string of past hit songs. For most of his career, Buffett had only one Billboard Top 10 hit, "Margaritaville," in 1977. What he offers his fans is an accessible fantasy. "Anyone of any age could imagine retiring to a tropical paradise and drinking margaritas," Haitt said. "There is something extra-musical about the whole thing."

You don't have to go to a concert to buy his stuff. Margaritaville boat shoes and flip flops are found in shopping malls. Margaritaville Foods sells salsa, hummus, tortillas and dips in Wal-Mart and other stores. Landshark is sold in grocery stores, and Margaritaville tequila is in liquor stores. And concert tickets sell out in short order, despite prices that run well over $100. The Buffett brand is on a growth spurt, usually as a result of marketing deals.

The Cheeseburger in Paradise chain was founded in 2002 and owned by OSI Restaurant Partners, owners of Outback Steakhouse, among others, under a license from Buffett. Landshark Lager, made by Anheuser-Busch, and Margaritaville Tequila, made by Seagram, are sponsors of his concerts.

Last May, the Trump Marina Hotel Casino in Atlantic City was purchased by Coastal Marina, LLC, which will convert it into a destination resort under the "Margaritaville" label. "Jimmy Buffett and his team at Margaritaville have created an extraordinary brand that is instantly recognizable to an enormously large and dedicated fan base," said Richard Fields, CEO of Coastal Development. "The brand implies quality, value and good times."

Meanwhile, Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., has teamed up with Buffett to develop the $700 million Margaritaville Casino & Resort in Biloxi, Miss., near where Buffett was raised. That project has been delayed by the downturn in the nation's economy. But Harrah's and Buffett already have a profitable relationship.

According to Buffett's Web site, the first Margaritaville opened in Key West, Fla., in 1987. The chain has since grown to 16 outlets, including a new one at the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut. Margaritaville at the Flamingo Las Vegas takes in more than $43 million a year, said casino president Don Marrandino.

"It's been pretty consistent for five years," Marrandino said. "It speaks to the Buffett lifestyle."

Jimmy Buffett Tailgate Rigs

In North America, a tailgate party, also known as The Last American Neighborhood, is a social event held on and around the open tailgate of a vehicle. Tailgating often involves consuming alcoholic beverages and grilling food. Tailgate parties usually occur in the parking lots at stadiums and arenas before, and occasionally after or during, sporting events and Jimmy Buffett concerts. People attending such a party are said to be tailgating. Many people participate even if their vehicles do not have tailgates.

Jimmy Buffett Concert. Honolulu, HI 2/28/09 Set List

Waikiki Beach Shell - Honolulu HI
February 28th, 2009

1. Migration (Jimmy and Mac acoustic)
2. Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
3. Tiki Bar is Open
4. Stars on the Water
5. Fruitcakes
6. Miss You So Badly
7. Grapefruit-Juicy Fruit
8. A Lot to Drink About
9. Son of a Son of A Sailor
10. Its Five O'Clock Somewhere (w/Mac)
11. Volcano
12. Cheeseburger in Paradise
13. Come Monday (The Beach Band)
14. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
15. Brown Eyed Girl
16. I Feel Like Goin’ Surfing in a Hurricane
17. Makin' Music for Money (Nadirah)
18. School Boy Heart
19. A Pirate Looks at Forty
20. One Particular Harbour
21. Southern Cross
22. Lover of Mine (segue into Imagine - Everybody's Talkin' - Lover of Mine)
23. Margaritaville

First Encore:
24. Fins
25. We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us About

Second Encore:
26. Dukes on Sunday

Jimmy Buffett: Miami Heat Sixth Man

Just about every team in the NBA has a famous fan or two. Knowing where to look is easy; they’re celebrities, after all -- only courtside seating will do. The trick is knowing whom to look for.

Courtside trademark: His carrottopped son, Cameron

Loyalty rating: 10

Notes: On February 4, 2001, Buffett was ejected from his courtside seat at a Heat game against the Knicks for swearing at referee Joe Forte. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Buffett said, “It was a bad call. It still is a rotten call! John Starks clobbered Tim Hardaway. It was a close game. I just said, ‘You stupid [redacted 12-letter curse word], that is the worst call I ever heard.’ “

Jimmy Buffett in American Way Magazine

Jimmy Buffett's Caribbean
by Mark Seal

Caribbean | the Bahamas | Jimmy Buffett | Jamaica | Haiti

Celebrating the release of his latest CD, Far Side of the World, Jimmy Buffett takes us on his ultimate island-hopping tour of the tropical paradise.

I’ve always looked at life as a voyage … with a thousand ports of call behind me and, I hope, a thousand more to see,” writes singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett in his best-selling autobiography, A Pirate Looks at Fifty. Few performers epitomize their geography better than Jimmy Buffett does the Caribbean. Born in Mississippi, he did a stint in Nashville, but didn’t find his voice — or his audience — until he moved to Key West, Florida, in the early ’70s. As Buffett’s star rose, his sails opened and he began living his songs, captaining all manner of boats throughout the Caribbean and piloting the Albatross, a 10-passenger Grumman seaplane. Parrotheads, as Buffett’s band of global groupies are called, have reason to rejoice this month: the release of Far Side of the World, his 33rd album.

So doff the tie and throw away the wristwatch. It’s time for an island-hopping weekend with Jimmy Buffett in the Caribbean.

FRIDAY

LODGING"One of my favorite hotels in the whole Caribbean is in Haiti: the Oloffson in Port-au-Prince. From Lillian Hellman to Graham Greene, it has an incredible literary history. To me, it’s the Caribbean of the ’30s. In Nevis, you can either stay in a big, fancy resort like the Four Seasons, or you can get into Hurricane Cove, near the airport. It has verandas and palm-lined beaches. [On Harbour Island in the Bahamas] I have some friends who run the Pink Sands Hotel, which I like. [On Jamaica] I stayed over at Strawberry Hill, which is one of Chris Blackwell’s Island Outpost hotels. I also stay at Goldeneye, which was Ian Fleming’s house. Goldeneye is a wonderful spot. It’s like being in a James Bond movie. If you want action, go to St. Barts. I owned a hotel there, which was more of an all-night bar than it was a hotel, but it burned to the ground. Now my favorite hotel there is the Eden Rock."

MUSIC
“I took my kids to the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, Jamaica. If you’re a Bob Marley fan, you should go there. It’s a funky little place, but worth going to. The great thing about the Caribbean is the diversity of the music. I have made it my business to collect CDs from the islands. Calypso, reggae, soukous, zook, you name it, I like it.”

DINNER
“I always liked Papillote underneath Trafalgar Falls in Dominica. It serves mountain chicken, which is like these large frogs. Of course, everything tastes like chicken, but they’re great. There’s a hot waterfall and a cold waterfall up at the falls. They’ll take you from the airport and drop you at this little restaurant, and then you can hike to the falls and come down and have a meal.”

NIGHTLIFE
“I’ve always wanted to do ‘The Jimmy Buffett 10 Best Bars in the Caribbean’ as a show. Just get in my seaplane and play these bars. I’d start in Bimini at the Compleat Angler, where Hemingway lived and which influenced The Old Man and the Sea. Then the Staniel Cay Club in the Bahamas and Happy People Marina. Happy People has a great dance floor and Staniel Cay’s got a great dinner. Then I would go to Kaye’s on Rum Cay, which is down at the end of the Bahamas. It’s a very remote, very beautiful island. From the Bahamas, I’d stop at the Turtle Cove Inn in Providenciales, which I would put as one of my top 10 seafood restaurants in the world. They do the best fresh conch dishes there. I’d then go to the Anegada Reef Hotel and play there. After that, Le Select in St. Barts, where I let them use the Cheeseburger in Paradise trademark for the restaurant and I get to eat and drink free for the rest of my life. If I was heading south from there, one of my other little spots would be the Admiral’s Inn in Antigua. It’s where all the yachties go. And there’s Frangipani, a great little French hotel with a great restaurant in Bequia.”

SATURDAY
BREAKFAST
“I eat breakfast at Eden Rock on St. Jean Beach in St. Barts. I like the view because I used to live in St. Jean. I wrote a couple of books and albums there, and I used to rent a room at the Eden Rock. It was kind of my office.”

BEACHES
“The most deserted beaches I’ve ever seen are on Long Island in the Bahamas. There are a couple of little hotels there and this incredibly long pink sand beach. The beaches in Barbuda, off of Antigua, are absolutely beautiful, too. The reefs have some of the best diving in the world.”

FISHING
“Up-island in the Bahamas, I’d have to say Harbour Island. You can fish there, and there are nice restaurants and a marina. Just look up “Bonefish Joe” Cleare, and he’ll take you fishing. I think every island has a Bonefish Joe, but he’s probably the best one.”

MOUNTAINS
“There are beaches in Jamaica, but I go for the mountains. I really like islands with mountains. It’s that incredible rivers-meet-the-ocean kind of thing. Dominica is probably my favorite, and Jamaica as well. I like the Cockpit Country up in the Jamaican mountains. Tropically lush plants. And it just smells good. You get away from the heat of the beach and get into altitude, and there are farms up there and beautiful rolling hills and mountains and rivers, and you can see the ocean.”

LUNCH
“I like to eat at my own restaurants in Jamaica. Margaritaville in Montego Bay, and Marguerite’s, which is the restaurant next to it. Marguerite’s is the best restaurant in MoBay, and not just because I happen to be in business with them. It’s kind of a combination of jerk and Cajun, and it’s really nice there. I’m getting ready to go down in a couple of weeks to open Island Village [a Margaritaville clone] in Ocho Rios. Then there’s a little hotel and restaurant called The Caves in Negril, which is a great spot. It’s just basic Jamaican: beans and rice and jerk. It’s also a great place to stay because the rooms are carved out of caves.”

SHOPPING
“Here’s what I bring back from the islands: King, the great grapefruit drink that you can’t get in America. I will shop for wine in St. Barts. I love blush wines. Everything is exorbitantly priced in St. Barts, but one of the great bargains is the rose wines. The other thing is this great coconut oil from Nevis that they press down there. Of course, there’s no sunscreen in it whatsoever, but it’s the best coconut oil around. I collect hot sauces from all the islands. Naturally, each island thinks it has the best peppers. My favorites are Matouk’s from Trinidad and Pickapeppa from Jamaica.”

DINNER
“First, I’d go to Le Select in St. Barts and have a Ti Punch. If I could pick anywhere for dinner in the Caribbean, it would be Maya’s on St. Barts. Maya’s is right on the water and they have great French-Creole cuisine. After that, I’d go to Bete A Z’ailes, a great place for music on the harbor. I’d finish my night at Le Ti-St. Barths, which is as close to the misbehaving that I remember when I owned my hotel on St. Barts.”

SUNDAY

HIKING
“There’s this incredible hike from Cap-Haïtien, a city down on the water in Haiti, up into the old fortress of Henri Christophe, who was the first king of Haiti. He built these palaces that were based on Versailles and San Souci right there in the jungles of Haiti. They’re all ruins now, but it’s amazing to take the walk up the road they built to this fortress. Last week, I took my son over to Brimstone Hill in St. Kitts, which is the fortress that’s called the Gibraltar of the Indies. It has an incredible history of the Amerindians that the French were fighting. The fort has monkeys climbing all over it. You can take a cab ride from the airport in St. Kitts. It’s worth a day trip.”

ONE HUNGRY DAY IN THE CARIBBEAN

“I can tell you how ‘Cheeseburger in Paradise’ got written. It was probably 1974, and I was on my very first boat, a 33-foot sailboat. We had gotten into some weather and had to go into Ponce in Puerto Rico to get fixed. We sailed from Ponce with a rigged-up bow spread that was broken, and it was a rough passage. We sailed into Roatán, got off the boat, and were starving. We were dying for a cheeseburger after being at sea for 10 days eating fish. And there, like an oasis, was this brand-new restaurant at the Village Cay Marina. We went in and just started gobbling cheeseburgers and drinking piña coladas because we were so glad to be on land. We had about three cheeseburgers each. For some reason, as I was walking out I looked and saw a package in the kitchen and the label was written in French: Cuoderrie Produit de Cheval. Do you know what cheval is? Horse. I went back to the guy and said, ‘This will never do. You’ve got a good idea here, but you’ve got to take the horse meat off the menu.’ We went back the next day and the owner was very proud that he’d gotten real hamburger from Puerto Rico, and we sampled the cheeseburgers again. I wrote the song right there: ‘Cheeseburger in paradise, heaven on earth with an onion slice.’”



jimmy buffett's caribbean essentials

lodging
eden rock, st. barts; $275-$1,550; 011-590-590-29-79-99

four seasons nevis, nevis; $495-$2,550; (869) 469-1111

goldeneye, jamaica; $1,250-$5,000; (876) 975-3354

hotel oloffson, haiti; $69-$113; 011-509-223-4000

hurricane cove, nevis; $125-$325; (869) 469-9462

pink sands hotel, bahamas; $655-$2,100; (242) 333-2030

strawberry hill, jamaica; $325-$775; (876) 944-8400

restaurants
the caves, jamaica; jamaican; all inclusive; (876) 957-0270

eden rock, st. barts; breakfast; $17-$20; 011-590-590-29-79-99

le select, st. barts; casual; $5-$9; 011-590-590-27-86-87
margaritaville, jamaica; casual; $18-$23; (876) 952-4777

marguerite’s, jamaica; caribbean/cajun; $8-$23; (876) 952-4777

maya’s, st. barts; french-creole; $20-$40; 011-590-590-27-75-73

papillote, dominica; caribbean; $22; (767) 448-2287

nightlife
admiral’s inn, antigua; (268)
460-1027

anegada reef hotel, anegada; (284) 495-8002

bete a z’ailes, st. barts;
011-590-590-29-74-09

compleat angler, bahamas;
(242) 347-3122

frangipani, bequia; (784) 458-3255

happy people marina,
bahamas; (242) 355-2008

kaye’s, bahamas; no phone

le select, st. barts; 011-590-
590-27-86-87

le ti-st. barths, st. barts;
011-590-590-27-97-71

staniel cay yacht club, bahamas; (242) 355-2024 or (954) 467-8920

turtle cove inn hotel, providenciales; (649) 946-4203

attractionsbob marley museum,
jamaica; (876) 927-9152

Jimmy Buffett's at the Beachcomber

Now open: Jimmy Buffett's at the Beachcomber

By Dave Dondoneau, TGIF Editor

Jimmy Buffett is mixing business with pleasure on his latest trip to Honolulu. While he's playing concerts on Maui and O'ahu, he's also here to help promote his newest restaurant.

Jimmy Buffett's at the Beachcomber opened earlier this month, and last night Buffett surprised patrons with an impromptu concert to christen the joint.

And it is some joint.

Located in the Ohana Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel (2300 Kalakaua Ave.), it's an over-the-top Parrothead paradise. It cost $15 million to build, is 22,000-square-feet big and can seat 400 patrons.

But you ain't seen nothin' yet.

The restaurant takes up the spot where the late Don Ho used to play at the Blue Hawaii showroom and also where the former Hibiscus Cafe restaurant sat. It's an area large enough for Buffett's surf museum and its walls are molded to look like lava rock. When you enter, you'll see fake lava oozing from the ceiling, tables laminated with island scenes and booths with different themes, like waves breaking overhead.

Live music and bars are inside the restaurant.

Margaritas will be served. Spongecake, we're not sure about yet.

Jimmy Buffett Opens the Beachcomber in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Buffett Opens Waikiki Restaurant with Concert

By Dave Dondoneau, TGIF Editor

Jimmy Buffett christened his new Jimmy Buffett's at the Beachcomber restaurant in Waikiki in style last night, putting on a nonstop two-hour concert for invited guests and VIPs.

"I refuse to participate in this recession," Buffett told a cheering crowd, many of whom wore balloon animals in the shape of shark fins and parrotheads.

Dressed in his trademark yellow T-shirt, red board shorts and standing in bare feet, Buffett brought out old standards like "Come Monday," "Cheeseburger in Paradise" and "Margaritaville," played "Dukes on Sunday" with local favorite Henry Kapono and jammed all night alongside ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro and most of his Coral Reefer band. He also premiered some new songs, basically putting on a full concert preview for fans who also came to town for Buffett's concert tomorrow night at the Waikiki Shell. Lawn seat tickets still remain available.

Buffett talked to the fans throughout the show on several topics, including the fact that the Beachcomber is his first business venture in Hawaii. Though he's known for his Margaritaville restaurants, the Beachcomber at the Ohana Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel at 2300 Kalakaua Ave. is one of a kind. It cost $15 million to renovate the area where legendary Waikiki performer Don Ho called home for decades. It is now a 22,000-square foot spectacle complete with Buffett's own surf museum next to the second-floor entrance.

The hotel itself is across the street from the beach and has no ocean view, but Buffett played on a stage with two large video screens and palm trees as his backdrop. Ocean scenes from across Hawaii played on the big screens throughout his performance and will continue for patrons during restaurant hours. The restaurant walls look like lava rocks, and each table top has hand-picked photo scenes from the Islands. The glass bar tops have flowing waters cascading through them, and booths have either a wave breaking overhead or are surrounded by lava rocks. As he played, restaurant servers passed out free food and beverages, ranging from mini cheeseburgers and margaritas to beer, tacos, shrimp and other pupus.

"The restaurant is now open!" Buffett said before he walked off stage a final time.

Jimmy Buffett In Hawaii 2009

2 music greats, 1 weekend

Both Jimmy Buffett and Steve Miller Band in town.

By Dave Dondoneau TGIF Editor

This really could be dubbed "The weekend of songs you know by heart."

Jimmy Buffett at the Waikiki Shell Saturday night; the Steve Miller Band at the Blaisdell Arena Sunday night.

In a 24-hour span, music fans can hear classic hits ranging from "Margaritaville" to "The Joker." Together, Buffett and Miller have more than 80 years of concert history, sold tens of millions of albums and, now in their 60s, have become both pop culture icons and rock legends.

They may be both known for their hits of the '70s, but their attitudes and appreciation for their fans have kept their music relevant.

"I don't look back much," Buffett said in a recent phone interview. "It's so much fun to look forward. (Performing) may look easy on stage, but you have to do a lot of hard work, a lot of luck and a little bit of talent. Then you have to manage it well. I've been lucky to have people around who've made good decisions — both in music and business — for me."

How cool is Buffett? After his last concert at Waikiki Shell, he hung out of the sunroof of his limousine blowing kisses, waving and shouting thanks to his fans as he slowly drove away. When he visited Honolulu after 9/11 in 2001, he saw things were "in a funk," so he decided to offer a little pick-me-up to Waikiki's suddenly struggling economy.

He chose to do an impromptu concert at Duke's, now the neighboring restaurant of his recently opened Jimmy Buffett's at the Beachcomber, a $15 million, 400-seat, 22,000-square foot Parrothead paradise that includes a surf museum.

"Duke's is somewhere I always wanted to play because I love the place and the people," Buffett explained. "It just has a great ambiance. You're right off the beach. Being a surfer myself, it was cool to see surfers just sitting on their boards listening to the music with Diamond Head in the background. Now I want to carry on where Don Ho left off at the Beachcomber."

An equally cool story is offered by Miller, who credits Paul McCartney's words of wisdom for improving his songs.

"Paul and I had just finished a jam session, and I remember asking him about writing music," Miller recounted during a phone interview. "He told me he wished he had taken more time on some of his songs because he could have made them better.

"All I could think of was, 'What in the world could The Beatles have done better?' But because of that, I pulled 'Abracadabra' at 11:59.59, the very last second, before putting it on an album. I wasn't really happy with it, so I sat on it for three years. Then one day I'm out skiing in Sun Valley and I run into Diana Ross and The Supremes on top of the mountain. How weird is that to see Diana Ross in Idaho on a mountain? I had worked with her before, so we talked a bit, and after I skiied down, I pulled out 'Abracadabra' and thought how would The Supremes do this song? Fifteen minutes later, I was finished.

"It had different lyrics and a different title than when I started, but the music was the same. That song took three years and 15 minutes to finish, but it became a No. 1 hit everywhere in the world from Mongolia to Peru because I took some time to get it right. Some songs come quick; some take years."

Part of the appeal of both Buffett and Miller is how they seem to just be ordinary Joes who struck it big.

They are so grounded when you talk to them, you just want to sit and have a beer (or margarita) at the nearest bar and listen to stories of how the music you've listened to the past four decades came to life.

Miller recounted a time when he toured in 1993, around when he was releasing the album "Wide River." He was playing an outdoor concert in front of 20,000 fans when he told the crowd he was going to play some songs from the new record.

"Literally, 5,000 people got up and went to the bathroom or to go get hot dogs, and the minute they heard the opening strains of 'Fly Like an Eagle,' they came rushing back in," Miller said with a chuckle. " I thought, 'How odd.' Now it's changed. We still do new songs, but we don't introduce them like that. To our delight, the fans like them."

Buffett's concerts also include his biggest hits, from "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," to "Come Monday," "Fins," "A Pirate Looks at 40," "Why Don't We Get Drunk," "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes," "Son of Sailor" and more, usually about 30 songs worth of memories.
The duo have toured so long and so often, they've even played together. They're just not exactly sure when.

Buffett, 62, laments that Miller, 65, is one of the few acts older than he is and still going strong. He barks out his favorite Steve Miller Band tune — "Fly Like an Eagle" — without hesitation.
"Are you kidding me? That is one of the best songs of all time," Buffett said. "We both do journeymen work. All these years, and I still love to go out and listen to his songs. Who doesn't?"
The feeling is mutual.

"Give me 'Cheeseburger in Paradise' every day of the week," Miller said. "Jimmy has so many good ones. We did some stadium shows together back in the '60s and early '70s in Florida, and we've jammed together at some private gatherings. He's such an interesting guy, but it's been a long time since I've seen him."

(For the record, sadly, there is no chance they'll meet Saturday and play together at the Shell: Miller and his band are playing at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center and get into Honolulu Sunday.)

The only thing missing from both artists' resumés is a call from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. That they aren't in yet is a joke.

Buffett could be in not only for his music, but also for creating a way of life for legions of Parrotheads: Blow out your flip-flops, step on a pop top, cruise on back home to find some booze in the blender and from then on it's one sandy, beach-filled, no-worries lifestyle.
When Buffett plays, it's not so much a concert as it as a party thrown by "Godfather of Trop Rock," as Parrotheads have to come to call him.

He's also gone global. It's estimated he makes $100 million annually from his concerts, restaurants (he christened his Waikiki restaurant last night with an impromptu concert), books (three No. 1 best-sellers on the New York Times list and a fourth also on the list), CDs, videos and memorabilia. It's safe to say he's not only no longer living on sponge cake, but he could buy enough Cheeseburgers in Paradise today to feed Guam.

Miller's resumé is just as impressive, but more for the lyrics he's created and for his ability to crank out Top 40 hits.

His flowing lyrics about his tour schedule for his 1976 No. 1 hit "Rock'n Me." (I went from Phoenix/All the way to Tacoma, Philadelphia, Atlanta, L.A.) was analyzed nearly 30 years later in 2005 by premier pop culture writer Chuck Klosterman in his best-selling book "Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story."

The book is supposed to be about Klosterman's 6,557-mile trek across the country to visit sites where famous musicians met their death, but in reality, it's more about Klosterman's love life and his take on pop culture topics. In one funny, spot-on diatribe after "The Joker" comes on the radio while driving across Montana, Klosterman wonders aloud what kind of tour manager would have Miller zigzagging back and forth across the country, instead of planning a better, more direct route.

His logic makes total sense, but had Klosterman had the chance to ask Miller about it personally, he probably would get the same creative license answer Miller gave when asked what the lyric "pampatous of love" means.

"It means nothing," Miller said with a laugh. "I wrote 'The Joker' in 15 minutes and I just liked the way 'pampatous of love' sounded when it rolled off the tongue.

"You won't find it in a dictionary. To me, it's funny what people latch onto with music and it's always interesting to see how what you wrote is interpreted by others. I get letters all the time from lawyers asking me what pampatous means. I'm not even sure I'd know how to spell it again.

"I do think it's great that 30 or 40 years after something is written, people are still singing it and wondering about it. It's fascinating. I love that young people still listen to my music."

STEVE MILLER VS. JIMMY BUFFETT BAND

Miller: Steve Miller Band

Buffett: Coral Reefer Band

NO. 1 SINGLES

Steve Miller Band: "The Joker"(1973), "Rock'n Me" (1976) and "Abracadabra" (1982).

Buffett: "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" (2003) with Alan Jackson, "Margaritaville" (1977)

ESSENTIAL CD

Steve Miller Band: "Steve Miller Band Greatest Hits 1974-1978" (33rd on the Recording Industry Association of America list of best-selling rock albums of all time).

Buffett: "Songs You Know by Heart: Jimmy Buffett's Greatest Hits" (seven times multiplatinum)

LATEST CD RELEASE

Miller: "Fly Like an Eagle 30th Anniversary Edition," 2006

Buffett: "Live at Texas Stadium" (with George Strait and Alan Jackson) and "Live in Anguilla," both in 2007

MUSICAL INFLUENCES

Miller: "I love Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Reed, T-Bone Walker. I hired a 13-year-old neighbor for $10 an hour to download blues and music. Now I have a terabyte of music, over 6,000 blues songs."

Buffett: "I'm very eclectic. As a writer, know what I like to listen to as far as lyrics. I love Jawaiian, Iz, the Ka'au Crater Boys ... a lot of cool stuff. I ran into Jake Shimabukuro and loved his work."

ON THE IPOD

Miller: Led Zeppelin, Gov't Mule, North Mississippi Allstars, Keith Richards, Kings of Leon, Corb Lund.

Buffet: Bob Marley, Moe Keale, Kings of Leon, Jack Johnson, Emmylou Harris

NEXT UP

Miller: Plans to release a new CD in the spring, a collaboration with Carole King. "Blues-based rock and roll," he said. He's also planning to do an outdoor festival with Toby Keith this summer.

Buffett: Recently completed a project with Google Earth that will soon be unveiled.

Jimmy Buffett Concert. Maui, HI, 2/24/09 Set List

1. Migration
2. Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes
3. Tiki Bar is Open
4. I Will Play For Gumbo
5. Fruitcakes
6. Miss You So Badly
7. Grapefruit-Juicy Fruit
8. A Lot to Drink About
9. Son Of A Son Of A Sailor
10. It's Five O'Clock Somewhere
11. Volcano
12. Cheeseburger In Paradise
13. Come Monday
14. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (with Jake and Robert)
15. Cowboy In The Jungle
16. Brown Eyed Girl
17. Makin' Music For Money
18. School Boy Heart
19. One Particular Harbour
20. A Pirate Looks At Forty
21. Southern Cross
22. Margaritaville

Encore:

23. Fins
24. We Are The People Our Parents Warned Us About

25. Lover of Mine (segue into "Imagine" and "Everybody's Talkin" segue back into Lover of Mine)

Maui Arts & Cultural Center - Maui, HI.

February 24th, 2009

Alpine Valley Buffett Tailgate

Thanks to SongBuff1 for checking in from Alpine Valley.

Alpine Valley, WI. July 19, 2008.