My first Jimmy Buffett concert was at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in April of '95 during his Fruitcakes tour. I could only afford nosebleed, but even from the cheap seats it was a fantastic show. He definitely knew his audience because he ended with encores of "Biloxi" and "Pascagoula Run". I can guarantee I was whoopin' and hollerin' just as loud as any of the cats in the front row.
My second Buffett concert was in August of '97 at Merriweather Post Pavilion just a few miles up the road from where I'm typing this. I was with Andrea for this one, and at the time we'd barely been married three months. As I saw it, this was almost like Buffett was serenading us during an extension of our wedding reception. By this time, I could tell I was a bit older because I found myself annoyed with the youngsters traipsing through our space who were unable to hold their liquor.
I could swear I've also seen Buffett a 3rd time, but Andrea assures me that if I did, she wasn't with me. Maybe the blanks in my memory showed I finally got Parrot-Heading at a concert right.
Buffett was born in Pascagoula, so as a Mississippi Coastie, I take pride in being able to call him one of our native sons. His family then moved on to Mobile, Alabama, and after he struck out on his own, he eventually wound up in Key West. In the most tangential of ways, my migration mirrored his as I, too, started out on the Mississippi coast and eventually wound up in Mobile. Andrea and I finally touched down in Key West for the first time in 2017, but according to Mom, we almost moved there as a family because Dad was given the option of doing a tour of duty at NAS Key West.
Heck, Buffett even spent a year at my Alma Mater, the University of Alabama - Auburn.
If I inventoried my now antiquated CD collection, I suspect the largest sector is occupied by Buffett. My first Buffett CD was Songs You Know by Heart, kind of a "Best Of" album, that I got in one of those Columbia House "10 albums for a penny" promotions. It's a good thing I bought this on CD. If it was a cassette, I know with certainty I'd have worn it out.
With that one album, I was hooked. While I had friends who praised U2 for their charity work and as spokespersons for the human condition, Nirvana for being the voice of youth disenfranchisement, and Metallica for just being hardcore and loud, I was grooving on the professional beach bum vibe exuded by Buffett.
My collection of Buffett albums grew. Off to See the Lizard, Barometer Soup, his massive compendium, Boats, Beaches, Bars & Ballads, and his one and only number 1 album, License to Chill, were picked up at different times and each had songs that resonated with me at those points in my life.
"A Pirate Looks at 40" and "Take Another Road" had me taking stock of my life to date. The obvious connection is to Frost's The Road Not Taken. Past choices and paths taken define our current situation. Despite regrets that everyone has, I'm good with where I've found myself.
"Bama Breeze" is pure, wistful nostalgia for places I've been, things I've seen, and people I've known, some of which and some of whom are no longer with us.
"Son of a Son of a Sailor" and "Boats to Build" remind me I still have dreams and goals to achieve, and distant shores to see.
"Southern Cross" on the surface is a breakup song. But the references to the Southern Cross give it a deeper meaning. This particular constellation can only be seen from the southern hemisphere. Like its counterpart in the northern hemisphere, Polaris, it's a navigational beacon, a guide. It's a reminder if you're seeking clarity and direction, it may be achieved by viewing your position from a different perspective.
Of all Buffett tunes in continuous rotation on my playlists, "La Vie Dansante" just makes me happy. Despite disappointments and setbacks,
They can come take it all awayBreak your heart by the light of dayDrown your love in a distant bay so lonely
The song remains hopeful.
There's a light shatters all the locks and saves me
And it reminds us,
Every stop is a place to start
If you know how to play the part with feeling
Losing Jimmy Buffett was a hard loss for me, but I can't view his death with sorrow. Rather than his absence, I'll focus on what we still have. Jimmy may no longer be with us, but his music remains and continues to speak. Every stop can be a place to start; every end is a chance at a new beginning if you can clarify and change your perspective.
Find your Southern Cross, your Polaris.
Rock-tober out.
Jimmy Buffett - "La Vie Dansante"
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