Death of the Parrotheads?

ENDANGERED SPECIES

When the Parrotheads lose their leader will a new hero appear or will it mark the end of an era in pop music?

On Christmas Day, flip-flop prophet Jimmy Buffett, Coppertoned hero to armchair beach-bums everywhere, will turn 61. And his disciples, those party-focused Parrotheads, will beer-crawl that much closer to extinction.

Now, now, party people, don’t get your feathers ruffled just yet. The singer of escapist mantra Margaritaville has announced no plans to retire. Not when he continues to have one of the highest-grossing concert tours in popular music. Not when Buffett-branded restaurant chains, clothes, blenders, drink mixes and then some ring up fortunes more. Not when he dumped Corona as a longtime sponsor — only to develop his own brew, Land Shark Lager.

But let’s be honest: 61 is still 61, no matter how much you surf. And when he stops, so will a long-standing concert tradition commenced with the Grateful Dead, carried on by jam-banders Phish, and mastered by Buffett: rock shows as all-encompassing fantasylands, rock shows as communal bacchanals that continue long after the lights go up and the mind-altering substances are stashed.

Parrotheads: It’s a way of life — and sooner rather than later, that life will come to an end.

When Buffett plays Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa this Thursday and Saturday, he will create a full-fledged utopia — an inherently singular experience that has taken on a life of its own.

I went through my requisite Buffett phase in college, and indeed, there's a tremendous lose-yourself joy at his shows — like Disney World with thongs. It's drunken, it's bawdy, it's skintastic. Down with the 9-to-5, up with the fins. I stopped going to his shows when the peaced-out buzz turned a little too frat-boy rowdy for my tastes. Nevertheless, there’s nothing like a Buffett gig. Everyone should try it once; just don’t wear nice shoes.

"Parrotheads have feared him retiring — or worse — for the last 10 years," says Susan Blankenship, 51-year-old commander of the Tampa Bay Parrot Heads in Paradise Club, which, at 1,000-plus members, is the largest of its kind in the world. "But whether he retires or not, that’s not going to affect the music we already have. I’m still going to have the albums I bought in 1972."

"We have no plans of stopping," says Rachel Keller, Blankenship’s daughter and the "chief officer of media" of the Tampa Bay club. "We like to say we’re not fans of Jimmy Buffett — we’re fans of the fans of Jimmy Buffett."

That's a nice thought and all. And sure, after Buffett retires, his fans may continue to gather at the neighborhood bar for a group singalong of Boat Drinks. But there’s no mistaking that the concerts are the thing. And when the house lights go up for good, the thing just won’t be the same.

Don’t expect another Buffett or Grateful Dead to come along anytime soon either, says Billy Altman, famed rock writer and assistant curator at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Those acts owe much of their sustained popularity to being birthed during the folk and singer-songwriter movements of the ’60s and ’70s. "Their fanbases grew organically," Altman says. "I’ve talked to Jimmy before, and he says he really had nothing to do with [the Parrothead craze]."

Back then, music labels had patience with their acts — both the Dead and Buffett were only modest successes at first. But the labels stayed with them, sending them out on the road, spending money to make money. And their fans, embracing the full hippie aesthetic, eventually started following these new engaging voices around the country. There was an excitement, a soul behind this antiestablishment music.

But then the music industry changed. Along came the ’80s, the reign of synthy dance-pop and vapid frontmen. In the ’90s, there was grunge, a gloomy genre of music best heard in your sad, shadowy room. Grunge has aged horribly, as has most rap and hip-hop, under-30 pursuits for sure. The current pop marketplace is singles-driven and, alas, utterly disposable. It’s hard to build a loyal following around a one-hit wonder.

There’s a reason why the best-attended concert acts remain those born decades ago: the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Neil Diamond, the Police. You can only blame ticket prices so much. The allegiance just isn’t there for most modern bands.

"We haven’t had a significant movement in pop in a long time," says Altman. "Well, outside of Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake and the celebrity-based music, of course."

These days, Altman adds, "bands seek to make connections with fans very actively: YouTube, MySpace. It’s forced." In other words, there’s nothing "organic" about it. Instead of singular concert celebrations, we’re seeing the emergence of more and more summer festivals — Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo — in which a smorgasboard of acts are available all at once, the sum being far greater than the individual parts. You party for a weekend, and then you go home.

Some acts have tried to position themselves to be the next Grateful Dead or Jimmy Buffett. After tweaking his approach, country singer Kenny Chesney has been able to stuff stadiums on the promise of a Buffett-esque paradise. However, sales of his last album, Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates, were tepid, a sign that listeners could be growing tired of his lost-in-paradise schtick.

Crunchy roots-rocker Dave Matthews appeals to suburban hippies and related stoners — a thinner, taller Jerry Garcia. But the sense of community at his shows is ephemeral. You see him, you go home, wait ’til next year. And truth be told, Matthews’ crowds don’t look any different from most others because, well, they’re really not.

Nope, chances are, we won’t see another Jimmy Buffett anytime soon. For some of you, that comes as very good news. But for Blankenship and her Parrotheads, it’s not just losing music — it’s losing a little hope, too.

"A lot of people accuse Parrotheads of escapism," she says. "But what’s wrong with leaving your troubles at the door?

"Life is hard enough."

Comments

[Ray]

I'm a confessed Parrothead and I too dread the day that Buffett stops touring.

There will not be another Buffett.

I believe that the higher ticket prices have almost crushed the "frat-boy rowdiness" that started to plague the concerts in the 90s.

[Brett]

There are some lesser-known bands that draw huge, loyal crowds, complete with fans that will follow them halfway across the country if necessary to catch multiple shows. Cowboy Mouth out of New Orleans is one of those. The music is very un-Buffett like, but the allegiance and party atmosphere of a show is definitely there.

[Deadhead Dan]

I don't listen to his music anymore, but after 11 years of chasing the Grateful Dead around, through 67 shows in 14 different states, I very much respect the Parrotheads as kindred spirits. The similarities are definitely there. Party on Parrotheads; Buffett is one of those types who enjoys it too much to retire, so don't sweat it!

[chase]

Buffett died years ago, when he caved in to "Buffett-branded restaurant chains, clothes, blenders, drink mixes and then some" ... when it stops being about the music and starts being about the money, well .... who's this grownup that took over my life?

But in many senses, we killed Buffett's Florida, too. Like Buffett's dream, we loved the state to death.

... Say, he still owes me about ten grand, if you happen to see him.

:-) Lessons learned. Another part of getting old.

[Jim Baldwin]

Nice read. Thank you.
Jim Baldwin
Spokane WA

Please help Melanie.
http://LetHerIn.org

[tgt]

Very nice article. Thank you - it somethng we Parrotheads have been thinking about.

I have seen Jimmy about 30 times in the past 35 years. He is aging with his fans. At the Vegas show on Oct. 20, the average age of his fan was about 50. Tickets were $211. We moan about Jimmy going commercial, but joke that our family mantra is: Give Jimmy More Money. We will keep going as long as he is going. I figure about the time is ready to stop, we will be ready for him to stop. Doesn't mean we can't keep playing his music... even at our funerals.

tgt
Beaverton, Oregon

[R D from St. Pete to SoCal]

I also was at the 10/20 Vegas show and without the "Parking Lot" party, I was expecting a different crowd. But after the 50 or 60 beach balls started to fly around before JB took the stage, it felt like it was going to be O.K. Took my 26 and 20 year old daughters with me for the first time, after my dozen or so times over the last 30 years, and it was "GREAT!" My younger daughter told me during the concert she now understands what it means to be a "Parrothead!" They loved it, better than the country concerts they go to. FINS UP !!!

[bcslong]

I went to my last show this year at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts. In theory, a bigger venue would mean more Parrotheads to party with. Unfortunately the reality was an inadequate sound system with hundreds of people streaming out of the show before the 5th song. What fun is a concert if you can't hear the music. I'm sad to say that the almighty dollar has won...next year we'll have a Buffett party without the $150 price tag...

[Ray]

I attended the 10/20 Vegas show in Vegas at the MGM. I thought the street party at the Margaritaville restaurant and bar was fun and had more of the "pre-concert" party feel that most people miss at a big venue like the MGM.

Like most, I really don't enjoy paying the big ticket prices; however, (as I said in my fist comment) a positive of the higher prices has been the lack of the frat-boy crowd and the casual fan that wants to cause trouble.

[gabeuscorpus]

I know I'm late to the discussion, but I have to disagree with you and Altman about the state of modern music -- I think there IS a significant movement afoot in music, but it's different than the ones we've seen before. The current trend is towards decentralization - more bands, more scenes, and closer connections to the artists themselves.

I think that bands are building followings these days in a *more* organic fashion than in the past. Labels used to dump tons of money into developing these sort of "phenomena" organically, on an unnaturally massive scale. These days, smaller acts are using the tools that Altman maligns as "forced" to develop real connections with their fans, communicating with them directly, and hanging out with the crowd after the shows. Getting the chance to thank JJ from Mofro after the show, having a beer with The Hackensaw Boys, or getting an email from The Reverend Peyton himself instead of a letter from the fan club isn't forced, it's a real connection. *That's* organic. The reality of the matter is that the interesting stuff in the music biz is happening out there on "the long tail" and not at the head of the curve.

[Dave Calhoun]

There IS another up-and-coming Buffett replacement and that man is one Jim Morris. With 15 CD's to his credit, his songwriting ability, storytelling and humor makes him (IMHO) a shoe-in for Jimmy when he finally hangs up his guitar. His website is at www.jim-morris.com