Rarely in the Hollywood Bowl’s 100-plus years has the storied venue hosted the sheer star wattage from different fields that filled its stage Thursday night, April 11.
The occasion was Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett, a chance for the late singer’s friends in the music and movie worlds (plus a couple of Hall of Fame athletes) to show their love for the tropical troubadour, who died last year of skin cancer at 76. It was the kind of night where you see and hear things you don’t usually see or hear.
“I want to set the record straight — I was the one who smoked a bowl with Jimmy on the roof of the Vatican,” actress Jane Fonda told the sold-out crowd, jokingly correcting a tall tale Woody Harrelson had spun earlier. Tennis legend John McEnroe kept the gag going later by claiming he and Buffett had sparked up on Wimbledon’s Centre Court.
While tales of the Pirate Laureate’s prodigious partying — both real and embellished — were a regular source of laugh lines, the evening’s emotional touchstone was Buffett’s humanity and generosity of spirit.
“Jimmy Buffett was a cool guy,” actor Harrison Ford said. “There will never be another like Jimmy. Usually, cool guys aren’t that nice. Jimmy was more than nice. He was kind.”
Jon Bon Jovi compared the life lessons he learned from Buffett to being “at the knee of the Jedi.” Added pro surfer Kelly Slater: “He was keenly aware that life is fleeting and we have to make memories while we’re here.”
Paul McCartney, the night’s final individual performer, summed it up this way: “Like everyone else on the bill has said, this was a great man.”
The night was also a celebration of the bond between Buffett and his legions of festively festooned fans, affectionately known as “Parrot Heads,” forged over countless bacchanalian summer tours. “Jimmy liked it best when everybody had a good time,” James Taylor told the crowd in a video he sent from Perth, Australia. “That was his gift.”
But what about the music, you ask? Stunning. Highlight followed highlight over nearly three and a half hours. Again, things you don’t normally see or hear.
- Brandi Carlile pouring her full passion into “Tin Cup Chalice” and “Come Monday,” two of Buffett’s most introspective ballads.
- Jackson Browne delivering a tender reading of “He Went to Paris,” which actor Will Arnett introduced as “Bob Dylan’s favorite Jimmy Buffett song.”
- Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro shredding through a medley of “We Will Rock You” and “My Guitar Gently Weeps,” using distortion and delay to great effect.
- Dave Grohl climbing behind the drum kit to power a Zac Brown-led version of Van Morrison’s “Brown-Eyed Girl,” a staple cover in Buffett’s set lists.
- Snoop Dogg getting a largely AARP-aged audience on its feet and singing along with “Gin & Juice.”
- McCartney teaming up with the Eagles for an elegiac version of “Let It Be,” a song the Beatle said he personally sang to Buffett days before his death.
Those weren’t the only strong turns. Kenny Chesney, whose “no shoes” vibe is a direct descendent of Buffett’s Caribbean country style, tore through “Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude.” Eagles bassist Timothy B. Schmit — credited with coining the term “Parrot Head” during his stint with Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band — did a cheeky rendition of “Volcano,” changing a lyric to add political commentary. J.D. Souther’s scorching take on “Southern Cross” had the entire venue standing.
Sheryl Crow, who was a back-up singer for Buffett early in her career, had fun with “Fins,” leading fans in the well-known choreography.
Through it all, the Coral Reefer Band provided tight backing, playing with purpose. The band’s singer-guitarist Mac McAnally served as the evening’s amiable MC and kicked things off by singing “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere.”
The show cooked along through most of its first three hours until the Coral Reefer Band left the stage. After a video played of an absent Dave Matthews singing “Lonely Cruise,” the Eagles came on to do “Boys of Summer,” “Take It to the Limit” and “In the City” — a polished performance that seemed disconnected from the rest of the show and its intent. The transition time to set up for the Eagles’ mini-set also sapped the night’s brisk pace.
The tribute ended with the expected group sing-along of the Parrot Heads’ national anthem,”Margaritaville,” which sent fans out in an upbeat spirit.
Earlier in the show, before he sang “Son of a Son of a Sailor,” country singer Eric Church recalled a conversation with Buffett where the topic turned to mortality and legacy.
“He said, ‘You know, Eric, guys like us never really die. Because the songs live forever.’”
Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett
Where: Hollywood Bowl
When: April 11
