This post was inevitable.

As demonstrated my by ipod and blog title, it's not secret that I adore Jimmy Buffett. I could probably write an entire blog about that, but I'll resist. Instead, I'm posting the media review I wrote for my creative writing class about his concert/work as an artist. Enjoy!

Jimmy Buffett’s “Welcome to Fin Land” Tour

The Wizard of Oz’s Dorothy had it all wrong: there is a place like home, and it’s called Margaritaville. Named after one of Jimmy Buffett’s famous songs, the Margaritaville ideal has erupted into restaurants, hotels, a clothing brand, and a state of mind. It is also a place where all die hard Buffett fans (aptly named parrot heads) can enter that state of mind, unite at his concerts, and feel right at home. Like the comforting nature of a home, his concerts are a safe haven for fans from all walks of life to gather and share their mutual love for each other, good music, and great tailgating. The parrot heads join to form an eccentric (and often inebriated) group of individuals, which pays close resemblance to many traditional families these days. Most American families have diverse members and may disagree, but at its core they unite and accept each other as unique parts of a greater whole—and that’s exactly what the parrot head family does.

I knew I belonged to this family the second my six-year-old body slid on the parrot-covered dress my mom had sewn for my first Jimmy Buffett concert. I’d never seen so many colors, decorations and joyful people in one place. I remember thinking it must have been a birthday party.

After attending yet another Jimmy Buffett concert in Raleigh on April 19^th, I’ve realized that my kindergarten counterpart was right: Buffett concerts are a birthday party. They’re a chance for people to celebrate the side of themselves that is ordinarily suppressed by strenuous jobs and stuffed schedules. Their free spirited side is born again the second they step onto the lawn and hear the thumping of “We are the People Our Parents Warned Us About.” Each time I am reunited with the sounds of his music and the company of the parrot heads I’m reminded to let loose, enjoy life and stop trying to march to the beat of the colorless task-driven drum.

Although they are scattered and primarily alcohol driven, Jimmy Buffett concerts have surprisingly offered a lot of insight into my improvement as a writer. Jimmy Buffett is one of my favorite poet/song writers of all time. Even though some songs like “Why Don’t We get Drunk and Screw” may not seem to hold much literary merit, there’s no denying that others like “A Pirate Looks at Forty” and “Come Monday” are beautiful and inspiring. I also believe that Jimmy Buffett is the only artist that cannot be pigeonholed into a specific genre, which takes a lot of creative initiative on his part. A lot of times I feel that my creative prose is too similar in topic or style, and I want to work hard to be as distinguished and versatile as artists like Buffett. One of the critiques on my last story was that my characters need more development. I took that to mean that I need to be more observant of the world around me so that all of my characters can come to life. This means that I need to do a lot more people watching, and Jimmy Buffett concerts are perfect for that. I’m hoping one of the great people I met can serve as inspiration for my next piece!

Regardless of the chaos or seemingly shallow exterior, Jimmy Buffett’s music, lyrics and concerts always inspire me, and they affect me deeply as a person and a writer. I hope that I can take all the lessons that I learn each time—observing people more closely, branching out stylistically, or continuing to celebrate my free-spirited-life birthday—and apply them to my life and work as an author.