Monday, March 26, 2012

Welcome to Finland my Feathered Friends!

Time gets way from me these days. I wanted to share my night spent with two of my favorite men. TB and JB, better known as Big Daddy and Jimmy Buffett.
Big Daddy called on his way home from work just the day prior and told me he had a surprise for me....2 tickets to the Buffett concert tomorrow night!
To say I was ecstatic would be an understatement.
To say I was doing kartwheels-or attempting to do so- in my front yard would be correct.
And then....it was.....the day of!!!!!
What to wear! What to wear?
 It was a dilemma to me and an embarrassment to my kids as I began to pull stuff from my closet and try stuff on....
Would I go with the theme of "Grapefruit" and wear a (mock) bathing suit?

My youngest, J Smooth (11) was so mortified and embarrassed he wouldn't make eye contact with me.
"PLEAZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ dont wear that, MOM!!!!!!"

I thought of another outfit and theme...This is how "a pirate looks at 40"....


My oldest son, Bama, had his girlfriend Kara over. The expressions on their faces were priceless.
Kara, "So??? You just had a pirate costume lying around?"

Why yes. Doesn't everybody?

My daughter Sledge begged me to "not be a pirate."

I finally came up with something. Just a tropical print dress, cowboy hat and added a couple lei's to the band. Big Daddy opted for his cheeseburger in paradise shirt. With tickets in hand...we were off



To see the wizard.
I mean  Lizard.
JIMMY....
“Sweet home Alabama!” he proclaimed. He seemed quite happy to be "home".
 
Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band performed at the Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham AL as part of the “Welcome to Fin Land Tour”.


It was his first show in Birmingham since 2001, and Jimmy Buffett made it a special one. Fans waited more than a decade for live renditions of “Margaritaville,” “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” “Come Monday,” “Fins,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and other signature songs.

Those Alabama roots provided a welcome focus for Buffett’s headlining set, which lasted about two hours and 20 minutes. He recalled his past in Mobile, inserted Birmingham into various song lyrics, praised the state’s football champs and generally acted like a proud homeboy. The crowd went wild in seeing their Alabama and Auburn teams on the big screen.


It was truly a homecoming!


Buffett made sure to highlight another Alabama guy in the band, guitarist-singer Mac McAnally. Photos of Alabama were part of the stage design, displayed on a huge screen behind the performers.



Fun for me because I enjoyed seeing the sights from around the state that all were special to me as well.
 

The enthusiasm from both the crowd and from Jimmy was high throughout the show. Lots of joking and the notable laid back attitude...

He even mentioned a stage fall in Australia in 2011. “I was pretty happy to be making a few more trips around the sun,” Buffett said, launching the band into “Trip Around the Sun.”

*Volcano*
 
 
 

Mac McAnnally pointed this guy in the crowd out to Jimmy Buffett. Jimmy exclaimed, "Now THAT is a first. A dude wearing a light up coconut bra. That guy is probably a doctor at UAB and might be performing surgery on someone in the morning!"


There was much booty shaking and swaying about. Not only by them...


But me as well. :)


A surprising treat popped up in the middle of the show: Matt Hoggatt, a musician from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, emerged to sing “Dear Jimmy Buffett,” an original that won a contest in American Songwriter magazine. Buffett sat nearby, cheering him on, then responded with a freshly minted song of his own, “Dear Matt Hoggatt.” What could be more fun, or more gracious, or more cool?
 

Buffett's set list for the Welcome to Fin Land Tour Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex
 Birmingham AL
Saturday February 25th, 2012
 1 Piece Of Work
2 License To Chill
3 It's Five O'Clock Somewhere
4 Jamaica Mistaica
5 Grapefruit-Juicy Fruit
6 Son Of A Son Of A Sailor
7 Volcano
8 Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes
9 Come Monday
10 Pascagoula Run
11 Trip Around The Sun
12 Cheeseburger In Paradise
13 One Particular Harbour
14 Creola (Featuring Nadirah, honoring Ralph)
15 Dear Jimmy Buffett (Matt Hoggatt)
16 Hey Matt Hoggatt (Jimmy Buffett)
17 Birmingham (Randy Newman song)
18 Sweet Home Alabama (Last played 12-28-1998: Aspen, CO)
19 Bama Breeze
20 Knee Deep
21 Last Mango In Paris
22 Margaritaville (with the not-so-lost verse)
23 A Pirate Looks At Forty
24 Back Where I Come From
25 Southern Cross First Encore
26 Brown Eyed Girl Miss Tina Gullickson, Miss Nadirah Shakoor, Mr Eric Darken, Peter Mayer The Lad From Lafayette Sonny Landreth, Mr Doyle Grisham, From Red Bay, AL Lyman Mac McAnally, Mr. Roger Guth, Uncle Jim Mayer, Dashing Lad From Trinidad Robert Greenidge, Dancing Johnny Lovell, Professor Michael Utley
27 Fins
28 Stars Fell On Alabama (last played 11-07-2001: Birmingham, AL)
29 Dreamsicle (last played 06-21-2011 Burgettstown, PA)


It was night to remember!
The songs of Jimmy Buffett and a date night with my babe..


Life is good indeed!
LIVE*LAUGH*LOVE
Leigh

6 comments:

Glenda/MidSouth said...

Awww! Bet you did have a great time.
Thanks for sharing it with us.

Patti @ Pandoras Box said...

sounds like a really fun concert - glad you enjoyed it and let us come along for the ride!

Jan@southernjunkin' said...

Oh the hubby and I were there too dressed in our parrot wear!! It was so much fun! We can't wait to see him again!!

sabri said...

my dad would of loved this..he is a bama man...and loves jimmy buffet ...looks like fun..thanks for sharing..

Creations By Cindy said...

Leigh, looks like you had a great time! You looked so pretty girl! Glad you had fun. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

4thelove! said...

Cute!! Sounds like so much fun!!