I Do Stuff…

a whole lot of man

A couple of months ago Nancy asked if I wanted to go to the Toby Keith concert at Nissan Pavilion.  I was shocked see asked.  I certainly am not a fan of either Toby or country music and neither is she.  But she said her sister was getting tickets for Greg and was looking for others to come along.  With that in mind I told her I would go under one condition, I had to be drunk when I walked in.  Oh what we do for love.

The previous week we planned it out to meet at Greg’s house at 4 to carpool to the venue for a little pre-show tailgating.  Fortunately this allowed me enough time to see the Spanish Harlem Orchestra at the Rosslyn Jazz Festival earlier in the afternoon.  I would have loved to stay the whole day, but I had to get to a country concert.

I arrived right on time at Greg’s house and helped him load the Durango with supplies.  I was in charge of bringing the grill and hot dogs, check.  We waited a few minutes for Marty and Malissa to arrive and we were off.  I already felt a little out of place.  Everyone had jeans on, most had boots, and “southern” shirts on.  I came in shorts and sneakers, I did grab my Phish “High Geere” shirt which is the closest things to country I have.  Oh and my car-wont-start-and-its-cold-as-balls-outside emergency flannel jacket I keep in my truck.  My t-shirt actually fooled a state representative from Illinois and it gets a lot of people.  If you quickly look at it you associate it with John Deere, but if you look closely it is anything but.  Damn hippies!

rock out dude!

Any how we headed to the venue and got there in pretty good time taking a lot of back roads from Centreville.  We lucked out and were able to park right on the access road leading into the lots.  When it was time to leave there was no wait getting out, just jumped off the curb and away we went.  Once parked we broke out the goods and setup quick so the parking attendants couldn’t get anyone behind us.  We got the table out and filled with food and I immediately started getting the grill fired up for to cook some meet.  We also made nice with two couples next to us, they had a cooler full of shots and jello shooters, good people.

I love talking to people.  At this show it was a whole new experience talking to rednecks.  I talked with the minivan next to us, later a Land Rover with three older woman pull up behind us and I chatted with them.  One of the times I headed off to the forest to pee I spoke to a couple for about 10 minutes.  I eventually ran back to the party just when they started to wonder were I was.  It was such a different group of people I stood along the access road and just watched the constant flood of people coming into the show, chatting with some now and again.  Two guys asked for Dixie Cups and I was happy to oblige them.  Saw a lot of rednecks, and trucks, and cowboy hats, etc…  The cliches are absolutely true.  But they are friendly people who love to talk.  I made the mistake of telling one lady that I went to the Obama inauguration and how many port-o-pots on there were on the Mall.  I quickly realized I probably should not have mentioned that trip.  But it was so cool just interacting with a different people than I am use to.

As the sun set across the lot the time came for us to break camp and head into the show.  We all grabbed one last beer and started walking toward the entrance.  Getting in this night was much easier than the Buffett show a few weeks earlier.  Much shorter lines and security didn’t seem to care as much about patting everyone down.  Another round of beers once we got in and we settled in for a long night of country music at the top of the lawn.  Once nice thing about having fewer people was the amount of space we had to ourselves.  There was some pre-opening band on that played for a few minutes, not bad.  Next was Trace Adkins for his one hour set and finally the headliner Toby Keith came out for an hour and a half or so.  Not much to say about the music, it’s country, not my thing.

Trace Adkins

Because of this I didn’t mind talking with fellow concert goers and I got beer a couple of times for everyone too.  That walk up the hill is a bitch however, I made it one to many times that night and I was soar the next morning.  On one of my excursions to the bathroom I decided to slide down the railing.  It’s fun, quick and easy, or so I thought.  I forgot that I was completely drunk and had no balance.  Halfway down the railing I realized I was going over.  To the left of me was the conreat stairs and the right was the grass.  I quickly weighed my options and fell over into the grass.  I was surprised my brain process all this information so quickly.  Scraped my left wrist and right knee.  The worst of the fall was taken by my right wrist.  I didn’t know it at the time, but I sprained it pretty bad.  About 2:30am when I finally went to bed it hurt horrible, I could hardly move it.  Here it is a week later and it still hurts.  Crazy people do crazy things when they are drunk.

After the show we immediately left the lot and were home in 20 minutes.  I was hoping to do a little post-concert tailgating but with our rock star parking there was no need to wait around.  We decided to do the after party at the house where we drank some more, smoked cigars and talked a lot of politics.  The politics got a little heavy by about 2am, but it was fun.  I was the only “liberal” in the group so it was a good debate from my perspective.  I didn’t plan on changing any opinion that night, but I hope I got them to think.

As much as I hate country, it was a great concert.  I can now say I have at least been to a country concert.  Hell I went to Watkins Glen to see a NASCAR race back in August 2008.  Anyone who knows me, knows I absolutely HATE NASCAR, but I did it for the experience.  I think I will stick with Formula 1.  To summarize the Keith/Adkins concert: the people are nice, the tailgating kicked ass and even in the venue it was fun hanging out with everyone.  Not saying I would do it again, pretty sure I have had my fill of country for a lifetime.

the man himself

Photo Gallery

Last year I saw Jimmy Buffett at Nissan Pavilion over the Labor Day weekend for the first time and again in Hawaii early this year.  Last years show was great and I was looking forward to this years show at Nissan when it was announced again over the Labor Day weekend.  This year my Dad and Pat got tickets and were coming with us.  Pat has been wanting to see Buffett for sometime but getting tickets just never worked out.  However we all got tickets this year and planned to do a little tailgating and then see the show.  We also planned to head to Rehoboth Beach for the weekend turning it into one long party weekend.

Well the best laid plans of man sometimes don’t work out.  My Dad got horrible sick and couldn’t make the show so Pat had to scramble to find someone the day of to go with her, fortunately her friend Kay said she could make it.  Then the beach house got rented, not only for the week before Labor Day, but also the week OF Labor Day, which never happens.  So much for hitting the beach for a long weekend after the Buffett show.  As chaotic as the day was in the end it turned out to be a great show.

I meet Nancy at my Dad’s house about 3 and we headed towards the venue.  We had to fight a little traffic getting there, but we were in the lot about 4:45 and immediately setup the canopy to provide us with some shade and steak out our territory.  Next we cracked open a beer and sat in the chairs for a while.  After a long couple of days fretting about what we were doing, where we were meeting, who was going, etc…we were in the lot awaiting the show.  Pat and Kay wouldn’t be able to make it till much later, but that was not a problem.

broke that rule...copyright Darin Bokeno

We quickly made friends with our neighbors, David and Mike.  Their wives were suppose to come, but both bailed so Nancy and I filled the gap of their missing compatriots.  We had so much food and beer it was a logical choice to invite them over anyhow.  It is crazy the people you meet a Buffett show, these two followed us off the deep end which was cool.  A lot of fun to talk to, they made great drinking buddies.  Eventually Pat and Kay made it to the lot and after getting lost finding us, about 7 I tracked them down and joined everyone at the tent.  They were playing catchup but were able to enjoy a little wine and some food.  About the time Pat and Kay showed up another friend of mine, Joe Camacho and his lovely wife found us and stayed for a beer.

The lot was so much fun we were pretty late getting into the venue.  We had to break down the canopy and put all the crap away, by the time we did this it was almost 8pm.  We were not the only ones late either, after a long hike from the lot the entrance was smashed with people.  Then getting in was a hassle, they found Kay’s camera, apparently a no go item.  But I ninjaed that shit in and it came in handy as you can see from the pictures.  Just inside the venue we all needed one last beer, $11/beer, we headed up to the lawn to enjoy the show.

We had already missed 20-30 minutes, but I didn’t care.  The experience so far was great and I was loving every minute of it.  We could hardly see Jimmy on stage we were so far back, but that didn’t matter.  We could hear the music, see the jumbo trons and everyone around us was having a great time.  But as quick as I got settled in it was time for another beer run.  Fortunately they have a stand at the top of the lawn but that didn’t matter.  With the number of people it was still a 20 minute process to get a beer.  While in line I talked to Mandi from Scotland,  who is a teach for Loudon County public schools.  Great person to talk to, helped pass the time while waiting for the beer.

me, Nancy, and David

About the time I got back with a beer the first set was over, no sooner did we get there and half the show was over.  We took the opportunity to relax and sit for a while.  There was a full moon on a clear night so things were perfect.  The air was crispy, in fact a little chille at about 65 degrees.  When the second set started no one realized it.  The house music was Bob Marley’s One Love, what we didn’t notice was that Jimmy and two others had walked onto the stage.  The house music faded out and the three of them picked up right on queue to finish out the song.  Then they started with My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink and I Don’t Love Jesus.  As the set progress all the band members come out.  Some set two highlights included a good Southern Cross and two fan favorites Margaritaville and Fins to close out the second set.

For the first encore a new song premiered from his new album Far Side of the World album, Beautiful Swimmer.  He also did a cover of the Beatles song, Yellow Submarine which was pretty cool.  I have heard a few other covers Jimmy has done and they are always good to hear.  However sometimes he doesn’t do the song justice, but gets an A for effort.  His cover of Scarlet Begonias from the Live at Fenway is not the greatest, but it’s cool to hear Jimmy pay homage to the Dead.

When the show finally ended it was almost 11pm and I was exhausted, still drunk, but thoroughly entertained.  Everyone in our group had a great time.  As we walked across the top of the lawn with the throngs of people, already there was a line of cars attempting to leave the lot.  We were parked in the extreme back and knew there would be little hope of us getting out early.  I walked Pat and Kay to their car then met up with David, Mike, and Nancy back at her Jeep.  We pulled out the chairs and proceeded to dine on some munchie food and talk about the show.  We must have sat there for an hour before a police office finally came by and told us it was time to leave.  He said “Traffic is moving along now, do you guys mind getting in your car and heading out.”  He was so polite we couldn’t refuse his request.

the entire crew, what a great time

On the way out of the lot we had one last act of kindness to fulfill.  A guy flagged us down asking for a jump start.  Of course we would help a fellow parrothead out, but we didn’t have any jumper cables.  Luckily a third car had cables that we use and got the guy going so we could all make it home.

As we drove down the highway we had Sirius tuned to the Margaritaville station and they were replaying the concert we just attended.  The full moon lit up the sky at night and I just gazed at the brightest stars in the heavens with Jimmy playing in the background.  Reliving one of the most incredible shows I have seen in my life.  Things started off chaotic, but everything feel into place in the end making a wonderful experience.

I had such a great time, so much so I was still drunk when I woke up the next morning.  Nancy had to drive me to my car and I was not looking forward to going into work on Friday.  I started off pretty good, but I dragged ass for the second half of the day.  When I got home later that night I crashed heard around 8pm and slept for twelve hours.

Set 1: start time not sure, arrived late
01. Lage Nom Ai
02. Stars on the Water
03. Summerzcool
04. It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere (with Mac)
05. Mañana
06. Conky Tonkin’ (with Nadirah)
07. Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
08. Volcano
09. Cheeseburger in Paradise
10. Come Monday (The Beach Band)
11. Son of a Son of a Sailor
12. Brown Eyed Girl
13. One Particular Harbor
14. A Lot to Drink About (acoustic)

set 1 ends at 9:25pm

Set 2: start time 9:40pm
01. My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink and I Don’t Love Jesus (ukulele version)
02. Frank and Lola (Jimmy, Mac, Johnn Lovell)
03. Grapefruite Juicy Fruit (The Beach Band)
04. Let Me Love Again (Ilo Ferreira)
05. Gypsies in the Palace
06. Last Mango in Paris
07. Surfin’ in a Hurricane
08. Southern Cross
09. A Pirate Looks at Forty (solo)
10. Margaritaville
11. Fins

set 2 ends at 10:30pm

Encore 1: encore beings at 10:32pm
12. We are the People our Parents Warned Us About
13. Yellow Submarine
14. Beautiful Swimmers*

Encore 2:
15. Tin Cup Chalice (solo)

house lights come on at 10:51pm

notes:

Ilo Ferreria was a special guest for this show
* First known performance of the Far Side of the World demo “Beautiful Swimmers”

Summer is a great time of year for concerts.  All the large amphitheaters are open for the season and you can catch some really killer bands during summer tour.  And what would summer be without Jimmy Buffett, the best summer fun band!  Nancy and I have tried to get tickets in the past, but without any luck.  This year Buffett was doing two shows at Nissan Pavilion over the Labor Day weekend.  So we were even more excited then usually to get tickets.  We knew he would rock the house!  Fortunately we scored two lawn seats for the Saturday show.  We thought about pavilion seats, but at $150 all said and done we turned that idea down.  Besides, half the fun of a Buffett show is the lot.

A crazy group of people

A few of Nancy’s friends got tickets for the show so we meet up with them before hand to caravan into the lots.  We finally arrived at about 4pm and setup camp.  First thing was the tent, table, chairs and BEER!  The usual food was served and we all started drinking.  I had to drive home so I got my drink on early.  We bought 24 beers so I had a lot of work ahead of me.  Wasting little time I started getting to work.  Gil had a power converter for Toyota FJ so we hooked up a blender and had Margarita’s along with beer.  I have never been to a Buffett concert, but I have heard the stories.  Everyone gets drunk in the lots and then heads in for the show.

Buffett lot

Many hours were spent in the lots just hanging out and chilling.  I couldn’t get over all the people that were here.  We arrived pretty early, but in actuality it was rather late.  Lots opened at 3pm I believe and I am sure people formed a line right at 3 o’clock to get in.  I had not seen anything like it since my days of touring with Phish so many years ago.  All these people getting together in the lots long before the show to have a pre-show party.  It was great and brought back a lot of memories.

The show started at 8pm and from what I could gather the band starts promptly.  So at about 7:15 we started to pack up our camp site, hit the head one last time, down that last free beer, and started walking into the pavilion.  Nancy and I had lawn so it was important for us to get in before the show to get a good spot.  It was a perfect night, cool temperatures and no sign of rain, a good night to be on the lawn with all the people.  At one point during the show Buffett himself mentions it: “This is the first time in recent memory that it has not been over 100 degrees or poured down rain.”  I was very happy for that!  All the good spots in the middle front of the lawn were of course taken, but we found a good location in the right side down low to sit.  Even from this angle we could see the stage without any problems.

Actual tail gating

Those crazy fans

Just after 8pm the show started.  There was a small circus act to announce the start of the show and then the band came walking out on stage.  Come to find out there was two sets, the first one being about 1:30 hours, 15 minutes for a break, and then an hour for the second set.  Hell we got two encores out of him that night.  I must say I was completely blown away by the show.  The crowd absolutely loved him and was really getting into the show.  Conversely Buffett was feeding off the crowd and whole band was enjoying the show too.  About half the songs that were played I recognized, the rest were all new to me.  He even played Scarlet Begonias for the second set opener, a song I know from the Grateful Dead.

Almost after every song Buffett would speak or tell a story.  For some songs there would be a montage on the jumbo screens from various tours or locations Buffett had been on.  And for one song there was a montage of pictures from the lot the day of the show.  He spoke about meeting the troops and doing a show for them.  His time in Hawaii and Fiji Island.  His personal vacations around the world.  It was a great concert.  I walked away from there with stars in my eyes.  The lot kicked ass, the show kicked ass, and the people kicked ass.  I only wish I had tickets for Mondays show on Labor Day, I guess I will just have to wait till next year when he comes around again to Nissan Pavilion for his annual summer tour.

After leaving the show we all meet up at the cars for a little after show party while the lots cleared out.  Nissan Pavilion is not known for getting out of shows quickly.   So we pulled out our lawn chairs, cracked open a few more beers and told stores from the concert.  It was a great time and I look forward to next year with the same group.  Hopefully we can get more people next time.  Because a Buffett show gets only better with the more friends you can bring along.

Set 1
01. Homemade Music
02. The Tiki Bar is Open
03. Fruitcakes
04. Pencil Thin Mustache
05. Manana *
06. It’s Five O’clock Somewhere (w/ Mac)
07. Change sin Latitudes, Changes In…
08. Gypsies in the Palace $
09. Jolly Mon Sing (The Beach Band) #
10. Come Monday (The Beach Band)
11. Cheeseburger in Paradise
12. Brown Eyed Girl
13. One Particular Harbor

Set 2
01. Scarlet Begonias
02. Why Don’t We Get Drunk
03. The Ass and the Hole
04. Son of a Son of a Sailor
05. Volcano
06. Last Mango in Paris
07. Makin’ Music for Money (Nadirah)
08. School Boy Heart
09. A Pirate Looks at Forty
10. Far Side of the World
11. Southern Cross
12. Margaritaville

Encore 1
13. Fins
14. Rainy Day Women #12 &35

Encore 2
15. Reggabilly Hill &

Notes:
Special guest Sonny Landreth for entire show.
* Manana was last played July 3rd 2003 in Columbia, MD
$ Gypsies in the Palace was last played December 22nd 2006 in Aspen, CO
# Jolly Mon Sing was last played November 3rd 2007 in Tampa, FL
& Reggabilly Hill was last played November 1st 2007 in Tampa, FL, first ever acoustic version

PS: On the drive home from the venue to Nancy’s house there was a police check point not 200 yards from her house.  The cop asked what I was doing, he could smell the alcohol in the car.  He must have signaled the other cops because all of a sudden my truck was surrounded with cops.  Having a bunch of empty beer bottles in the bed of my truck didn’t help things.  Because I knew I had to drive home I stopped drinking long before the show ended.  I blew a 0.03 and they let me on my way.  Just a quick reminder to please drink responsible.  It could not only save your life, but the lives of your friends and those you don’t even know.

Nancy and Julie