jimmy buffett final tour

Watch Jimmy Buffett Cover ‘Southern Cross’ at His Final Concert

• By Andy Greene

Andy Greene

The world woke up to the sad news Saturday morning that Jimmy Buffett died at the age of 76. “Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” read a statement on his website. “He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”

They haven’t released a cause of death, but he admitted to health problems in recent years, including a hospitalization in May. “I wound up back in the hospital to address some issues that needed immediate attention,” he wrote to fans in May, explaining why he couldn’t play a show in Charleston, South Carolina. “Growing old is not for sissies…You all make my life more meaningful and fulfilled that I would have ever imagined as a toe headed [sic] little boy sitting on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts, you amazing years of loyalty.” 

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Like all Buffett concerts, the setlist was heavy on singalong favorites like “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Last Mango in Paris,” “Fins,” and “Margaritaville.” The set wrapped up with “Southern Cross.” It’s a 1982 Crosby, Stills, and Nash song, but it became a Buffett staple in 1996. He played it over 830 times. Here’s fan-shot video of the last performance in San Diego:

Buffett’s last public appearance took place July 2 when he joined longtime Coral Reefers Band guitarist Mac McAnally for an eight-song set at Sunset Cove in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. This was just two months before Buffett died, but he somehow had the strength to sing “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes,” “Cheeseburger In Paradise,” and “A Pirate Looks at 40.” The set ended, appropriately enough, with “Margaritaville.” Here’s video.

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Jimmy Buffett’s Last Concert + the Clues Everyone Missed

Jimmy Buffett 's final concert was an impromptu performance in Rhode Island two months before his Sept. 1 death . The build-up to the show and what started to happen afterward were quiet clues that his health was worse than he let on.

When the 76-year-old "Margaritaville" singer postponed shows in Sept. 2022 and May 2023, he did so with a hint that whatever had left him hospitalized was just a roadblock. There was nothing to indicate his condition was terminal.

Related : Jimmy Buffett's Cause of Death Revealed

"Once I am in shape, we will look at the whens and wheres of shows," he said on Facebook on May 19. "I think playing is as therapeutic for me as it is for fans to listen and sing along. Looking forward to announcing a new date for Charleston as well as some new shows! Fins up!"

Then, he turned up at Sunset Cove, a restaurant in Portsmouth, R.I. Owner Mike MacFarlane told CBS Boston he didn't know Buffett was coming until just before showtime. Mac McAnally was the scheduled performer for an anticipated crowd of a few hundred. McAnally is, of course, part of Buffett's band.

"Mac got a hold of me and said, 'Hey Jimmy just reached out and wants to come up and do a few songs what do you think?' and I said let's find a way to make it happen," MacFarlane says.

It led to this:

Buffett was staying in Long Island and, per MacFarlane, wanted to get out of the house. So he left a note and flew to Rhode Island and performed an eight-song, 45-minute, hit-filled set (setlist below).

The small crowd was thrilled, but while multiple news outlets covered the gig, few reported it as anything more than a nice surprise.

Days earlier, Buffett quietly canceled a festival gig slated for July 6. Then, in mid-August, he canceled the Charleston, S.C., gig he'd talked about making good soon. As summer roared along, he slipped out of the spotlight aside from several nostalgic posts on social media, where he'd also compliment artists who covered his songs and reflect on better times (or show off his dogs).

In retrospect, there were signs that his health was worse than anyone thought, but given his age and energy at each show he played during his long battle with skin cancer, nobody put it together. When news of his death was shared just after midnight on Sept. 2, the music community was devastated. "Heartbroken" is a word you'll find in so many social media posts.

Jimmy Buffett's Last Concert Setlist:

(*All songs with Mac McAnally) 1. “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” 2. “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” 3. “Cheeseburger in Paradise” 4. “Song of a Son of a Sailor” 5. “Come Monday” 6. “Volcano” 7. “A Pirate Looks at Forty” 8. “Margaritaville”

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Jimmy Buffett, dead at 76: His final concert with his band was on May 6 in San Diego. Here’s our review.

Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band headlined the first-ever concert at Snapdragon Stadium. His death was announced just a few days after the San Diego opening of the Buffett-themed Margaritaville hotel

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Jimmy Buffett’s May 6 concert with his Coral Reefer Band at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium was a suitably celebratory affair. It turned out to be his last performance anywhere with the group, which he had led various iterations of since the 1970s,

Buffett’s death Friday at the age of 76 came barely four months after his Snapdragon concert, which also featured San Diego’s Jason Mraz and a brief opening set by Coral Reefer Band mainstay Mac McAnally. It also came just days after the opening of the Margaritaville Hotel in downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter., which is themed to reflect the beachy lifestyle in Buffett’s music, merchandise and concert decor.

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‘Margaritaville’ singer Jimmy Buffett, who turned beach-bum life into an empire, dies at 76

“Margaritaville” singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett has died at age 76

Sept. 2, 2023

That show was a make-up date for Buffett and Mraz’s originally scheduled Snapdragon show last October. It was postponed after Buffett was hospitalized for what his family has recently revealed was a four-year battle with Merkel skin cancer.

In an announcement in his website last September, Buffett said he “needed to refrain from touring for the rest of the year” because of “health issues and brief hospitalization. That led him to cancel his October shows in Salt Lake City and Nampa, Idaho, and to push back his shows in Las Vegas to March of this year.

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Buffett was hospitalized again this May, again for undisclosed reasons, not long after his San Diego concert. “Getting old is not for sissies, I can assure you,” he said in a statement later that same month.

If the veteran singer-songwriter-turned-billionaire- entrepreneur was feeling under the weather at his final San Diego concert, he gave no indication of anything being amiss. Indeed, Buffett was in good spirits throughout his 19-song set, which opened with “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” and concluded with a buoyant version of Crosby, Stills & Nash’s “Southern Cross.”

Our coverage of that concert was published in the San Diego Union-Tribune on May 7. Here is the review in its entirety, along with the complete set list of Buffett’s performance.

Jimmy Buffett and Jason Mraz turn Snapdragon Stadium into a giant beach party, 8 miles inland

BY GEORGE VARGA MUSIC CRITIC May 7, 2023, The San Diego Union-Tribune

Jimmy Buffett and Jason Mraz have each performed numerous times in San Diego over the years — Buffett since the early 1970s and native Virginian-turned-Oceanside resident Mraz since the late 1990s. But Saturday night was the first instance in memory at which either played second fiddle here to a large, new, outdoor concrete edifice.

So, take a bow, Snapdragon Stadium, which opened last September as the home of San Diego State University’s Aztecs football team — and this weekend made its largely promising debut as a concert venue.

“I don’t usually wear a suit, but this is such a special occasion I had to dapper it up a bit,” said Mraz, 45, prior to performing the buoyant, reggae-infused “Wise Woman,” the fourth song in his engaging, hour-long set. “I thought this day would never get here, but I’m glad it did.”

Longtime Buffett collaborator Mac McAnally was, in fact, the first artist to perform at Saturday’s concert. The show had been pushed back from its original date last October, after Buffett was hospitalized for undisclosed reasons.

Now 76, the star of the night was in good spirits as he took to the stage at 7 p.m. He warmly greeted the audience, then introduced McAnally, who did an engaging, five-song opening set with percussionist Erik Darken.

“We finally made it!” Buffett, clad in a track warm-up suit, told the cheering audience. “Thank you for waiting.”

Prior to his first number, “Blame It On New Orleans,” McAnnaly said: “We are honored to kick off the inaugural concert at Snapdragon Stadium.”

Buffett and Mraz delivered crowd-pleasing sets with their respective bands, each of which performed with a winning combination of polished precision and festive celebration.

Mraz and his brassy band performed tender ballads, funk-fueled romps and the disco-styled “I Feel Like Dancing” with equal poise and verve. He gave some extended solos to his musicians — something rarely heard in a stadium setting — and tenor saxophonist Carlos Sosa and guitarist Molly Miller were especially impressive.

Buffett opened with the tropical-flavored “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes,” the title track of the 1977 album that propelled him from cult status to stardom. He concluded a bit more than 90 minutes later with an animated version of Crosby, Stills & Nash’s “Southern Cross.”

In between came 16 other songs, including such favorites as “Fins,” “A Pirate Looks at 40,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and the inevitable “Margaritaville.”

Buffett fondly recalled his first gigs here, 40 years ago, “at a coffee shop at SDSU” — the now-defunct Back Door — and sprinkled in a number of local references during his set. (Mraz in turn gave a shout out to Java Joe’s, the Ocean Beach coffee house where he got his start.)

Buffett’s enduring appeal was perhaps best summarized Saturday by Lauren Mackin, who flew in from Arizona with her husband, Brian, a 27-time Buffett-concertgoer, their 19-year-old son, Darren, and his girlfriend, Emily.

“The great thing about a Jimmy Buffett concert,” Lauren Mackin said, “is that it’s like you’re at a karaoke bar with 50,000 of your best friends that you didn’t know you had.”

The concert’s promoters declined to disclose the attendance, but it looked like close to a full house for the 28,000-capacity show at Snapdragon. The new venue is at the same Mission Valley site that once housed San Diego Stadium, San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, Qualcomm Stadium and SDCCU Stadium — to cite the four successive names of the larger stadium that used to stand there.

With a concert capacity of 28,000 — 7,000 less than for football games and other sporting events — Snapdragon is, by comparison, an intimate, streamlined venue. It seats half as many people as the sprawling, 53-year-old stadium it replaced.

The sight-lines were good from most of the nearly dozen locations I watched from during the course of Saturday’s nearly four-hour event. And the sound was much better than at any concert I can recall attending at the previous stadium.

The crisp, well-balanced audio mix may also reflect the skill of Buffett and Mraz’s respective sound engineers. They, thankfully, resisted the urge to turn everything up to 11, which has long been an unfortunate tendency for far too many stadium music acts.

Where Snapdragon faltered Saturday was in the extremely long wait times for concertgoers to purchase food and, more often, drinks.

While there’s no known scientific study, so far, that confirms Buffett’s fans consume significantly more alcoholic beverages than college football-game attendees, the inordinately long lines at his concert here suggest that may well be the case.

Then again, by the end of the night, a couple seated in front of this reviewer posed for a selfie with 10 empty plastic cognac glasses that they had consumed during the concert.

And Buffett, a billionaire whose empire includes more than one alcohol-related product, was happy to toast the crowd in song, at one point ad-libbing the lyric: “What would Jimmy Buffett do right now? Go to the Belly Up and buy you a drink!”

Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Refer Band set list, May 6, 2023, Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego

“Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes”

“Pencil Thin Mustache”

“Son of a Son of a Sailor”

“Boat Drinks”

“It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere”

“School Boy Heart”

“Come Monday”

“Growing Older But Not Up”

“One Particular Harbour”

“Little Martha”

“Cheeseburger in Paradise”

“He Went to Paris”

“Last Mango in Pari”s

“A Pirate Looks at Forty”

“Back Where I Come From”

“Margaritaville”

“Southern Cross”

[email protected]

7:57 p.m. Sept. 3, 2023: This story has been updated with Buffett’s cause of death.

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Jimmy Buffett guitarist recalls singer's final hours: 'What a hell of a ride ... keep the party going'

A tribute to jimmy buffett was performed at the 2023 cma awards by artists including kenny chesney, alan jackson and zac brown band.

Jimmy Buffett’s guitarist shares some of his final words

Guitarist Mac McAnally visited Jimmy Buffett hours before his death and shared the inspirational things he told him.

Jimmy Buffett died in September, and several of his favorite artists honored him with a performance at the CMA Awards on Wednesday.

Ahead of the tribute, Mac McAnally, a guitarist and longtime member of Buffett's Coral Reefer band, spoke to Fox News Digital about the late singer-songwriter, even sharing some of his final words.

"I saw him 24 hours before he was gone," McAnally said, "and he was smiling wider than his head and saying, ‘What a hell of a ride, keep it going, keep the party going,’ and it's our intention to do that."

ELTON JOHN, BEACH BOYS' BRIAN WILSON LEAD CELEBRITY TRIBUTES TO THE LATE JIMMY BUFFETT: ‘UNIQUE AND TREASURED’

Mac McAnally, left, performed as part of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band. (Tim Mosenfelder/WireImage)

"I didn't know what to say," he admitted of that final visit with Buffett, "and I didn't know if I could talk without crying, but I picked up a guitar and played, and we told a couple of tour stories and laughed. And he made sure that I knew that he wanted nobody to be sad, and everybody to keep the joy that he started rolling, rolling."

WATCH: Jimmy Buffett’s guitarist shares some of his final words

Leading up to his death, Buffett had been "fighting Merkel Cell Skin Cancer for four years," according to an obituary shared on his website. He'd had to cancel numerous concerts due to his health, but "continued to perform during treatment, playing his last show, a surprise appearance in Rhode Island, in early July," the obituary read.

Jimmy Buffett passed away at 76 after battling skin cancer. (Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic/Getty Images)

After decades in the music business, his death had a major impact on countless fans, as well as fellow performers.

McAnally, along with Kenny Chesney , Alan Jackson and Zac Brown Band, performed a medley of Buffett's songs at the CMA Awards on Wednesday that included "Margaritaville" and "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere."

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"Every connection I've ever had with Jimmy means something to me, because I wouldn't be here without him," the guitarist told Fox News Digital.

Jimmy Buffett performs during the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans on April 29, 2018. (Erika Goldring/Getty Images)

"But this particular night, when we just put out his last album, which he worked so hard on and put so much joy and labor into… I'm in this tribute with a bunch of people that he loved so much and that — everyone loves Jimmy — but he loved everyone that's involved in this tribute tonight personally."

He continued, "It means the world. So we're going to be sending his music out as far as we can send it, and he's going to be smiling at us, and we know that."

WATCH: Jimmy Buffett’s longtime guitarist discusses tribute to singer-songwriter

Buffett was known for how intensely he enjoyed life and how much he promoted the idea that others do the same, and McAnally said that that sort of positivity was reflected in how Buffett wanted his fans to think of him after he passed away.

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"He didn't want anybody to be sad," he said, "although you can't help losing somebody that you look up to to that level, but he didn't want anybody to be sad… we're not going to be sad tonight."

Jimmy Buffett was in good spirits right up until his death, according to multiple family members and friends. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)

"We're gonna send some love out with some Jimmy Buffett music , put our hearts up against the microphone and it's gonna work, I got a feeling," said McAnally.

When asked what he wanted people to remember most about Buffett, McAnally said, "He was just a big rolling ball of goodwill, and it didn't matter what level you saw him on. If you met him at the grocery store, you would think the same thing as if you saw him onstage for all these years.

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"He was really the character that everybody thought he was… he was smiling at everybody he crossed paths with, every day of his life, including the last one."

Emily Trainham is an entertainment editor for Fox News Digital.

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Jimmy Buffett's final concert was surprise performance at Rhode Island restaurant

By WBZ-News Staff

Updated on: September 4, 2023 / 6:27 PM EDT / CBS Boston

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. – A surprise performance by Jimmy Buffett at a Rhode Island restaurant turned out to be the "Margaritaville" singer's final public concert.

Buffett died Friday after a years long battle with skin cancer . He was 76 years old.

In July, Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band surprised patrons at the Sunset Cove in Portsmouth, Rhode Island with an intimate performance for a few hundred people.

"I was in awe. You can't make that up," said Mike MacFarlane, who owns the restaurant. "The wow factor was unbelievable."

MacFarlane says hundreds were coming to see Buffett's band member Mac McAnally in concert that day when the phone rang.

"Mac got a hold of me and said, 'Hey Jimmy just reached out and wants to come up and do a few songs what do you think?' and I said let's find a way to make it happen," MacFarlane said. "Very impromptu, just wanted to get out of the house."

Portsmouth police shared a photo that weekend with Buffett.

Buffett had been hospitalized in Boston in May 2023, forcing him to cancel a South Carolina concert. He had also postponed dates at the end of 2022. Due to his health issues, Buffett did not resume touring.

Following Buffett's death, Sunset Cove posted a tribute and photos from the July performance.

"Jimmy Buffett, your kindness and love will always have a special place here at Sunset Cove. We will never forget the amount of smiles and love you brought to our community. You will truly be missed. May it always be 5 O'clock somewhere at Sunset Cove," the restaurant posted.

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Eagles pay tribute to Jimmy Buffett at final tour kickoff: 'Sailing on that cosmic ocean'

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NEW YORK – The Eagles have never been known for ornate live shows.

Rather, precise musicianship behind a trove of classic rock staples earns them deserved plaudits.

At the opening concert of what they’ve said is their last tour – aptly dubbed The Long Goodbye and expected to run into 2025 – the band anchored by founding member Don Henley and the long-tenured Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit served two hours of hits that were polished and exact.

But even with their businesslike approach, an undercurrent of emotion thrummed throughout Thursday’s two-hour set at a sold-out Madison Square Garden.

A vibe of finality reverberated in the signage advertising this “final tour.” The sadness in Henley’s voice was palpable when he noted the “rough six weeks” the Eagles experienced after the death of the band’s original bassist, Randy Meisner , in July And a two-song tribute to Jimmy Buffett later in the show triggered heart-wilting melancholy.

Endings are inevitable, but the Eagles are wrapping their five-decade career with a lengthy spin around the country and a generous 23-song set list that lulled for the first hour and rocked through the second.

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The band’s hallmark harmonies rang through the opening minutes as Henley, Walsh and Schmit, joined by recent tour guests Vince Gill and Deacon Frey – son of the late Eagles legend Glenn Frey – and ace guitarist Steuart Smith lined the front of the stage for “Seven Bridges Road.”

The lead vocal roulette continued with Frey making the spirit of his dad proud on “Take it Easy,” Henley hitting stellar high notes during “One of These Nights” as he sang behind his drum kit, and Gill sweetly memorializing Meisner with “Take It To the Limit.”

The breezy SoCal adult contemporary fare that kept the Eagles bound to the charts in the early ‘70s – “Best of My Love,” “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” “Tequila Sunrise” – sounded rich with musical director Will Hollis (keyboards), Scott Crago (swapping the drum seat with Henley) and Michael Thompson (keyboards) augmenting the sound.

The Eagles Long Goodbye: See the setlist for the legendary rock band's final tour

Bassist Schmit, whom Henley reminded the crowd was a onetime member of Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band and coined the fandom term “ Parrotheads ,” sounded as limber as ever as his trademark high-tenor voice coated “I Can’t Tell You Why” with sleepy seductiveness.

But of course it was Walsh, with his nasal bray and elastic facial expressions as priceless as his searing solos, who pushed the show into more upbeat territory with the massive guitar chords of “In The City” and the delightfully off-kilter solo hit “Life’s Been Good.”

The Eagles pay tribute to ‘dear friend’ Jimmy Buffett

Those itching for air-guitar moments would soon receive their wish. But first, Henley shushed the crowd to say a few words about his “dear friend” Buffett.

“He’s now sailing on that cosmic ocean and having that cheeseburger with Glenn and Randy,” Henley said. “Jimmy made work look like play. He brought joy to everything he did, and one of his final wishes was we keep the party going.”

Schmit offered a dreamy take on the sublime “ Come Monday ” while Walsh donned a parrot hat to lead the audience through a singalong of “Fins.” The dedication was bittersweet as a glance around the venue of people making the overhead “fins” motion underscored the reality that we’ll never see Buffett lead that chorus again.

The Eagles request that fans not take video. Good luck with that

The Eagles had plenty of choruses left to entice fans, including Henley’s wistful “Boys of Summer,” a suitable follow-up to the Buffett tribute; a rollicking “Heartache Tonight” spiked with Walsh’s slide guitar; and the adrenalized “Life in the Fast Lane.”

Throughout much of the concert, beleaguered ushers attempted to accommodate the band’s request – as on previous tours – to prevent fans from taking video. The assignment was like a game of Whac-A-Mole as arena staff tried in vain to deny people their obsession with recording during concerts by waving flashlights at the offending parties. Perhaps an announcement before the show would be helpful, because video messages didn’t seem to register.

But the rules were apparently loosened by the encore, a three-song capper of Walsh’s Talk Box-laden “Rocky Mountain Way,” Henley taking the center stage spotlight for a contemplative “Desperado” and, of course, singsong guitar licks being traded between Walsh and Smith in “Hotel California.”

Such a lovely place to say farewell to a rock ‘n’ roll behemoth.

Steely Dan makes a perfect musical match

Much like Aerosmith and The Black Crowes , the Eagles and Steely Dan – not saying goodbye, merely commemorating another lengthy career as a guest on the tour – are a dream team.

The ever-cool Donald Fagen strolled out in dark glasses and suit to the strains of “Josie” being unwrapped by the nine musicians – including a four-piece brass section and dazzling drummer Keith Carlock – who would help replicate Steely Dan’s intricate jazz-pop for an hourlong set.

Fagen’s voice was smooth and filled with character as he navigated “Hey Nineteen” and the head-nodding “Dirty Work.”

Always a band to listen to more than watch, Steely Dan wove through “Black Friday” – Fagen’s gnarled hands pushing the keys of his Fender Rhodes – and the insistent bass line of “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.”

A rousing double shot of “My Old School” and “Reelin’ in the Years” adeptly laid the foundation for a night full of nostalgia, contemplation and celebration.

A rockin' return: The Rolling Stones will release their first new album in 18 years this fall

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Eagles kick off The Long Goodbye Tour in New York: Review

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Jimmy Buffett tribute: Dave Grohl, the Eagles, Paul McCartney and everything that happened at the Bowl

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He did his bit of smuggling, he once sang , and he ran his share of grass. Now, the late, great Jimmy Buffett is being honored by an assortment of his many friends and admirers in an all-star tribute concert Thursday night at the Hollywood Bowl.

Keep the Party Going, as the show is billed, takes place seven months after Buffett died from skin cancer in September at age 76, leaving behind a lifestyle empire that reportedly made him a billionaire — and, of course, a deep catalog of wryly literate songs that blend country, pop, folk, rock and Caribbean music.

For the record:

3:20 p.m. April 12, 2024 In an earlier version of this article, a photo caption did not identify Jackson Browne and referred to him as a member of the Coral Reefer Band.

In the wake of his death came warm remembrances from the likes of former President Clinton, who said Buffett’s work “brought happiness to millions of people,” and Alan Jackson, with whom Buffett recorded the No. 1 country hit “ It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere .” Elton John called him “a unique and treasured entertainer”; LL Cool J said he was “glad we had time to vibe.”

The 12 essential Jimmy Buffett songs

Parrotheads know: Jimmy Buffett was not just a brand, he was a gifted singer-songwriter with a keen understanding of middle age and the American dream.

Sept. 2, 2023

Among the many acts set to perform at the Bowl are Paul McCartney, the Eagles , Jon Bon Jovi, Jackson Browne, Brandi Carlile , Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow , Zac Brown, Jack Johnson, Pitbull and members of Buffett’s longtime Coral Reefer Band.

7:11 p.m. Greetings from Margaritaville! (Sorry, I had no choice.) With a lineup long on boomer icons — and an audience full of the fans Buffett often compared to Deadheads with credit cards — tonight’s show promises to be like a stylishly graying Coachella, a prospect for which I’m all in. I’m Mikael Wood, The Times’ pop music critic, and I’m happy to be here with my colleagues August Brown and Erin Osmon to play-by-play this tribute to the man who did as much as anyone to bring fruity drinks and sandy desperation into the pop vernacular. — Mikael Wood

As the native Floridian on The Times team here, I am thrilled to see tonight as the beginning of a Buffett-sance among L.A.’s songwriter set. Parrothead wear is the look of the summer to come. — August Brown

And we’re off with a festive take on “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” by Buffett’s stalwart backup crew, the Coral Reefer Band. — M.W.

Introducing himself as a Florida boy, Jake Owen says he knows “a lot about citrus” — his way to queue up “Grapefruit — Juicy Fruit.” — M.W.

The Coral Reefer Band puts a brass-infused NOLA spin on “Pencil Thin Mustache,” opener of Buffett catalog highlight “Living and Dying in 3/4 Time.” This colorful crowd — the Bowl looks like a pastel kaleidoscope of leis and Hawaiian shirts — is on its feet and loving it. I wore my Hush Puppies for the occasion. Perhaps I’ll join them. — Erin Osmon

7:26 p.m. Woody Harrelson is here in a beat-up cowboy hat recalling the time he and Buffett smoked a joint on the roof of the Vatican. “That’s not true of course,” he adds, “but wouldn’t that be a great story?” As one of the night’s first celeb presenters, the actor goes on to extol Buffett’s creation of “a new genre of music — and hotels and restaurants and old folks’ homes.” — M.W.

7:32 p.m. Kenny Chesney takes “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” — which, as bite-size philosophies go, is up there with the best. — M.W.

7:33 p.m. Chesney says that, when he was a kid growing up in east Tennessee, Jimmy Buffett was the first person who showed him that a person can paint pictures with words; a touching and fitting sentiment before he launched into “Where I Come From,” a song that evokes the powerful, everyday images of Buffett’s (and Chesney’s) rural upbringings. — E.O.

7:35 p.m. In a video tribute, Dolly Parton emphasizes Buffett’s multi-hyphenate brilliance — songwriter, author, mogul — and that he was more than just a dude in flip-flops. — E.O.

7:42 p.m. The Jimmy Buffett lifestyle crosses seas and transcends continents, as Angélique Kidjo proved on a regal take of “One Particular Harbour.” The two were old pals and collaborators on “Ti Punch Café,” from Buffett’s final album, “Equal Strain on All Parts,” and the respect and camaraderie between them is really delightful. — A.B.

7:58 p.m. Zac Brown debuts a tender new song, “Pirates and Parrots,” at the Bowl tonight, written about and dedicated to Buffett as Brown promises he is “picking up where you left off ... when the sun goes down we’ll raise our drinks.” Very sweet reminder that this music really meant a lot to a lot of songwriters who took it to new places. Another fitting tribute: Brown changing into shorts onstage. — A.B.

8:01 p.m. A sepia-tone Indiana Jones-style video, titled “Quest for the Shaker of Salt,” tees up the night’s next presenter: Harrison Ford. “Jimmy Buffett was a cool guy,” he says. Ford recalled a “boozy lunch” with Buffett and Ed Bradley that inspired him to get his ear pierced (because they both had earrings and he thought that was so cool). He clarifies that for a “cool guy” Buffett was also singularly kind and loyal. “There will never be anyone else like him.” — E.O.

8:04 p.m. Longtime Miami Heat coach Pat Riley recounting the time Buffett got ejected from a game for calling the referee a Parrothead.”That’s not an insult, that’s a compliment,” Riley recalled yelling back. Truly a crime against Florida to throw him out. — A.B.

8:08 p.m. Eric Church intros a lightly snarling “Son of a Son of a Sailor” with a remembrance of the many summers he and Buffett spent in California, where they’d hike, enjoy “afternoon wine” and then end the day drinking “tequila till there wasn’t anymore tequila.” — M.W.

8:11 p.m. The Eagles bassist Timothy B. Schmit, ex-member of Poco, and the Coral Reefer Band, leads the band and the Bowl in a spirited performance of “Volcano,” a tune custom-tailored for crowd participation. He’s also, apparently, the first person to say “Parrothead.” I didn’t know; I didn’t know. — E.O.

8:14 p.m. Jane Fonda wants to set the record straight, she says as she takes the stage to introduce Brandi Carlile: “I was actually the one that smoked a bowl with Jimmy on the roof of the Vatican.” Big laugh in the crowd. Fonda hails Buffett’s generosity of spirit and his “ability, like Tinkerbell, to sprinkle happiness” wherever he went. — M.W.

8:18 p.m. Reliable as always, Carlile does her tender-soulful ‘70s folk-rock thing in “Tin Cup Chalice,” then talks about her experiences fishing with Buffett, whom she says impressed many a lesbian fisherwoman by bragging that he was friends with Brandi Carlile. — M.W.

8:22 p.m. If I’m being completely honest, I had hoped that Jackson Browne would be the celeb pal to sing “Come Monday” this evening — refracting Buffett’s most tender composition through his soft-rock pedigree and “These Days” poignancy. Instead, it was Carlile, who led the Coral Reefer Band on acoustic guitar. She explained that Buffett’s widow, Jane, is one of her “most precious friends,” which makes it make more sense, as Buffett wrote the song for her. Carlile’s vocals were characteristically smooth and her love for Buffett evident. In other words, it was a job well done. — E.O.

8:28 p.m. “Exactly the person you expected to see,” said actor Will Arnett, an unlikely Parrothead. “I have so many awesome memories of Jimmy. I was staying with him in the Caribbean — he said, ‘I gotta get certified in takeoffs and landings at the St. Barts Airport, you wanna go? I gotta do like 30 of them.’ Jimmy has been in like three plane crashes. I bailed.” — A.B.

8:34 p.m. The Coral Reefer Band takes “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” Buffett’s hardest-rocking hit — at least until the classic bridge about how Buffett likes his burger, at which point the assembled Parrotheads threaten to drown out the pros onstage. — M.W.

8:39 p.m. Instead of “Come Monday,” Jackson Browne played “He Went to Paris” — after a little stumble with his in-ear monitors. “You know what?” he said with a laugh. “I can’t hear any levels because I forgot to put these in my ears.” After course correcting, he offered a mellow rendition of Bob Dylan’s favorite Buffett tune. It’s not always a good sign when folks sit down during a song, but here it read like a necessary vigil, a kind of reverence — with the twinkle of neon necklaces instead of the flicker of candles. — E.O.

8:42 p.m. J.D. Souther tells the crowd that, as Buffett often said, he’s got a sailing song for us, which turns out to be a rollicking take on “Southern Cross” by Crosby, Stills & Nash. — M.W.

8:47 p.m. “When Jimmy wrote this song, there hadn’t been a song like this in country music,” says Mac McAnally of the Coral Reefer Band — one way to describe the proudly raunchy “Why Don’t We Get Drunk.” (If you don’t know what comes next in the lyric, look it up.) — M.W.

8:52 p.m. Snoop Dogg in the house! After encouraging the crowd to smoke “sticky icky” (what else?) he threw down a spirited and incredibly well received performance of “Gin and Juice” to honor his “main man Jimmy.” — E.O

8:59 p.m. Anyone who doubts Snoop Dogg’s Parrothead bona fides should watch him in Harmony Korine’s “The Beach Bum.” Underrated movie! — A.B.

9:12 p.m. John McEnroe keeps the gag going as presenter with a memory of the time he and Buffett smoked a joint at center court at Wimbledon. — M.W.

9:18 p.m. And now we have Pitbull doing his “Don’t Stop the Party” — just one fun-loving Florida Man paying tribute to another fun-loving Florida Man. Says Pitbull of Buffett: “He’s the definition of what it means to unite, not divide.” — M.W.

9:22 p.m. And the award for Most Unexpected Collab goes to Pitbull and Jon Bon Jovi doing “Thank God and Jimmy Buffett.” — E.O.

9:23 p.m. “We all think we’re rock stars, but he flew his own plane to his own show. That’s a rock star,” Bon Jovi said of his late pal, before admitting his backstage edible was kicking in, a common theme of the night. Judd Apatow agreed. “I swear I just thought I saw Snoop Dogg do ‘Gin and Juice’ with the Coral Reefer Band,” the director said, before praising Buffett’s longevity and loyalty to his band. ”50 years, Jesus. It’s the band that made it all work. They got f— up together as a family.” — A.B.

9:27 p.m. Sheryl Crow instructs folks to put up their “land shark” fins before launching into Buffett’s tune of the same name. There were fins to the left, fins to the right and fins on the stage — Crow couldn’t resist joining in. — E.O.

9:35 p.m. After telling a story about the time a friend of his mistook Buffett for a plumber due at his house to fix a broken toilet, Jack Johnson sings “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” which he calls “the reason I kept playing music” after he learned the song at age 14. — M.W.

9:39 p.m. It wouldn’t be a classic rock tribute show without Dave Grohl showing up to play something or other, so of course he’s back manning the Coral Reefer drum kit for Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” with Zac Brown, out for round two tonight. — A.B.

9:41 p.m. Dave Matthews describes his offering of “Lovely Cruise” — performed via video — as a “postcard.” Fittingly, his stripped-back acoustic rendition emanates the feeling of a beautifully chill day on an island beach, which is where he first met Buffett. — E.O.

9:45 p.m . Here to introduce the Eagles is Don Johnson, who recalls the time at Snowmass when Buffett cooked up a duck dish that smelled so good it cut through all the cocaine they were doing that night. “Aspen in the ‘80s,” he says. — M.W.

9:48 p.m. The Eagles open not with a Buffett tune but with one of Don Henley’s that catches something of Buffett’s perpetually sun-tanned vibe: “The Boys of Summer.” — M.W.

9:50 p.m. “The Boys of Summer” is a neat choice because it name-checks the only act that comes close to rivaling the unique world-building that Buffett achieved: the Grateful Dead. — E.O.

9:59 p.m. We’re all thinking about Buffett, of course, but Vince Gill’s precision-geared vocals in “Take It to the Limit” also feel like a warm tribute to the Eagles’ Randy Meisner, who originally sang the song and who died last year. — M.W.

10:05 p.m. No clue what “In the City” has to do with a guy whose whole deal was finding a (comfortable) way out of the rat race, but damn if the Eagles don’t sound great right now. Invite Joe Walsh to everything, is my idea. — M.W.

10:15 p.m. “Hollywood f—ing Bowl!” says Paul McCartney, who tells a story about being invited to one of Buffett’s places during “the last week of his life” to “sing a couple songs for Jimmy.” Buffett “was in a pretty bad way, but he still had that twinkle in his eye,” McCartney says. “Tonight I thought I’d sing one of those songs.” That’s his cue for a stately “Let It Be,” for which he brings out the Eagles — have these rock giants jammed together onstage before? — and which gets what looks like the entire place on its feet. — M.W.

10:20 p.m. If there is anything I learned tonight it is that Jimmy Buffett was a singularly unifying force. The ability to assemble Paul McCartney, Eric Church, Snoop Dogg and Pitbull on the same stage is a large enough feat, let alone calling each of them a friend. Tonight, the cast was diverse and the vibeage was off the charts. Turns out, Margaritaville is a special place. — E.O.

10:25 p.m. McCartney chugs a giant margarita onstage tonight to introduce the night’s sendoff. — A.B.

10:35 p.m. All the heavyweights are back onstage for a rousing, appropriately wobbly “Maragaritaville,” and there’s something very moving about the way this weird (and really very sad!) little party song has become the anthem it has to so many different types of people. And that’s a wrap for Buffett-palooza — except, perhaps, for Paul McCartney, who looks like his night is just getting started. — M.W.

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It’s time to get your fins out.

Legendary tropical rocker Jimmy Buffett is returning to venues all over North America to entertain Parrotheads from coast to coast from March through May this year on his ‘Second Wind Tour.’

And you wouldn’t believe it but we found some tickets to the “Cheeseburger In Paradise” crooner going for as low as $12 before fees on Vivid Seats.

That’s cheaper than a cold one at a concert.

Heck, while we’re at it, it’s probably less than what it costs to grab a margarita at one of Buffett’s Margaritavilles.

(Editor’s note: It is. The ‘Uptown Top Shelf Margarita’ at the Times Square Margaritaville costs $14.75 ).

It really is “Five O’ Clock Somewhere.”

So, if you want to make the pilgrimage to catch one of music’s most durable stars live this year, here’s everything you need to know.

All prices listed above were found at the time of publication and are subject to fluctuation.

Jimmy Buffett 2023 tour schedule

A complete calendar including all upcoming tour dates, venues and links to the cheapest tickets available for each show can be found below.

(Note: The New York Post confirmed all above prices at the publication time. All prices are subject to fluctuation and include additional fees at checkout .)

Vivid Seats is a verified secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand. 

They offer a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and your tickets will be delivered prior to the event.

Jimmy Buffett set list

Buffett, 76, likes to keep his fans on their toes.

Thus, you never know what he’s going to play when you see him live.

Still, to give you an idea of what to expect, here’s Buffett’s set list from his most recent concert on Feb. 15 at the Hard Rock Live in Hollwood, FL courtesy of Set List FM :

01.) Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” 02.) “Pencil Thin Mustache” 03.) “Fins” 04.) “Grapefruit—Juicy Fruit” 05.) “Growing Older but Not Up” 06.) “Volcano” 07.) “Son of a Son of a Sailor” 08.) “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere” 09.) “Come Monday” 10.) “Cheeseburger in Paradise” 11.) “Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season” 12.) “Coconut Telegraph” 13.) “Little Martha” (The Allman Brothers Band cover) 14.) “Knees of My Heart”

15.) “The Wino and I Know” 16.) “He Went to Paris” 17.) “One Particular Harbour” 18.) “A Pirate Looks at Forty” 19.) “Back Where I Come From” (Mac McAnally cover) 20.) “Margaritaville”

21.) “Last Mango in Paris” 22.) “Tin Cup Chalice” (Jimmy Solo)

Want to dig a little deeper and see what Buffett has played at other recent live shows or go as far back as his first concert in 1970?

Set List FM has everything you need.

Classic rockers on tour in 2023

Now that you’ve snagged your Buffett tickets, you’re probably wondering “Who will I see next?”

Look no further.

Below, you’ll find just five of the biggest acts you won’t want to miss when they come to a city near you this year.

•  Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

•  Ringo Starr

•  The Beach Boys

•  The Eagles

Hoping to search for more options? Check out our list of the 52 biggest concert tours in 2023 here .

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Jimmy Buffett’s Final Album, ‘Equal Strain on All Parts,’ to Be Released This Fall; Paul McCartney-Boosted ‘Gummie’ Out Now

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

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The album Jimmy Buffett was known to have worked on earlier this year has been announced for a fall release. The 14-song “Equal Strain on All Parts” will be out Nov. 3 via the Sun label, with guests including Paul McCartney , Emmylou Harris, Angelique Kidjo and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

Three advance tracks were released Friday morning onto DSPs: “Like My Dog,” “Bubbles Up” and “My Gummie Just Kicked In,” the last of which features McCartney on bass.

Buffett was active in the studio in 2023 and was reported to have completed the album before his cancer recently took a turn for the worse. He died Sept. 1 after battling Merkel cell cancer for years.

Popular on Variety

McCartney mentioned his participation on the album on social media after Buffett’s death. ““I was very happy to have played on one of his latest songs called ‘My Gummie Just Kicked In’. We had a real fun session and he played me some of his new songs,” McCartney wrote. “One [new track], in particular, I loved was the song ‘Bubbles Up’. And I told him that not only was the song great but the vocal was probably the best I’ve heard him sing ever. He turned a diving phrase that is used to train people underwater into a metaphor for life when you’re confused and don’t know where you are just follow the bubbles – they’ll take you up to the surface and straighten you out right away.”

The album was produced by Michael Utley and Mac McAnally, longtime members of Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band.

With this posthumous release, Buffett has an album on the same imprint that first signed Elvis Presley and other Memphis rockers and R&B legends, although obviously the label has been through many hands since the 1950s.

The full track list:

• University of Bourbon Street
• Audience of One
• My Gummie Just Kicked In
• Close Calls
• Equal Strain on All Parts
• Like My Dog
• Ti Punch Cafe
• Portugal or PEI
• Nobody Works on Friday
• Johnny’s Rhum

Pre-orders for the CD and a two-LP set (with aqua-colored vinyl, naturally) are up on Buffett’s web store .

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Buffett’s last album ‘equal strain on all parts’ available today, november 3rd, 2023.

The final studio album from Jimmy Buffett is out today. Listen to Equal Strain on All Parts wherever you stream music or get it at Amazon or on vinyl at Mailboat Records .

Track listing:

• University of Bourbon Street (with Preservation Hall Jazz Band)
• Audience of One
• My Gummie Just Kicked In
• Close Calls
• Equal Strain on All Parts
• Like My Dog
• Ti Punch Cafe (with Angelique Kidjo)
• Portugal or PEI (with Will Kimbrough and Lennie Gallant)
• Nobody Works on Friday
• Johnny’s Rhum
• Mozambique (with Emmylou Harris)

Read USA Today’s review of the album: Jimmy Buffett swings from fun to reflective on last album ‘Equal Strain on All Parts’

At the start of the year, Jimmy Buffett began work on what would become his final album. From January into the spring, the high-spirited raconteur recorded tracks in Nashville, Tennessee, Key West, New Orleans and Los Angeles, a collection of 11 original songs and three covers, including Bob Dylan’s “Mozambique.” Now, almost exactly two months after the death of the “Margaritaville” maestro from a rare form of skin cancer, Buffett’s 31st studio album, “Equal Strain on All Parts,” arrives with a bittersweet taste. It’s comforting to know that even as his health declined, Buffett still turned to music and enlisted friends including Paul McCartney, Emmylou Harris and Angélique Kidjo to romp and croon with him. But it’s also a somber realization that the raucous concert culture and escapism that Buffett enjoyed with his legions of Parrotheads is but a memory. Hazy for some, joyful for all. The songs on “Equal Strain” follow Buffett’s careerlong blueprint of swinging from frivolous (Billy Currington’s “Like My Dog” and “Fish Porn,” which he co-wrote with acclaimed satirical novelist Carl Hiaasen) to reflective (“Bubbles Up,” Mary Black’s “Columbus”).

Read the full review here .

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Paul McCartney Reveals He Sang 'Let It Be' for Jimmy Buffett in the 'Last Week of His Life'

"He still had that twinkle in his eye," The Beatles singer said of Buffett at Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett at the Hollywood Bowl on April 11

Pierre Suu/Getty Images; John Shearer/WireImage

Paul McCartney is sharing a touching insight into the final weeks of his friend Jimmy Buffett ’s life. 

Speaking at a tribute concert to honor the late folk rock artist, who died at age 76 last September, at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on April 11, McCartney, 81, recalled how he was invited to sing for Buffett at his home by his wife Jane Slagsvol . 

“Just in the last week of his life, I was invited up to his house by Janie,” McCartney said on stage at Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett ahead of his performance. “And I was invited up there to sing a couple of songs for Jimmy, and he was in a pretty bad way, but he still had that twinkle in his eye. So I thought I'll sing one of those songs that I sang to him tonight.”

McCartney then took to the piano to perform “Let It Be” with little accompaniment for the iconic musician.

The Beatles bassist/singer also shared a sweet anecdote about Buffett, whom he called “one great man," and a vacation the two took together.

Tim Mosenfelder/WireImage

“He was generous. He was funny. He'd done just about everything in his life,” said McCartney. “And I say he was so generous. I was on holiday with him and I forgot to bring my guitar. So he had his own guitar strung left-handed for me … And then the next time I saw him, he'd had one custom made left-handed for me. So I love Jimmy.”

Along with McCartney, others honoring Buffett and celebrating his life and musical legacy at the one-night only show included the Eagles, Jon Bon Jovi , Sheryl Crow and Snoop Dogg .

Crow, 62, recalled how she was hired by Buffett as a backup singer before she got famous — and she made quite the arrival for their first performance together. 

“I was hired by Jimmy Buffett …I was absolutely a nobody. And I got to sing backup on 'Off to See the Lizard' with Timothy B. Schmidt,” explained Crow. “But I have to preface the story by saying I came from St. Louis. I flew to Miami. I got on a small commuter jet. We had a bomb scare. They flew us in a hundred yards above the water. They foam landed us, and then the FBI showed up. And then forevermore, Jimmy would say, ‘This girl knows how to show up to a party.’ "

She concluded, "I will tell you, he is for me the most beautiful illustration of what it means to be alive and awake and absolutely present in every moment.”

Steve Granitz/WireImage; Fred Duval/FilmMagic; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic; Kevin Mazur/Getty

Meanwhile, Dolly Parton appeared at the tribute concert in a pre-taped message as she shared her own words of kindness for the “Margaritaville” singer. 

“Jimmy Buffet was a dear, dear friend of mine,” began Parton, 78. “I know he is looking down thinking, ‘What are you people doing? Did y'all have a margarita?’ And I'm sure we did. Most of us right? Anyway, I just wanted to say that I love Jimmy like all of you do. What a great human being he was. What a great talent he was. What a sweet, sweet soul.”

The late singer’s longtime touring band The Coral Reefer Band also played at the event and were introduced to the stage one by one by McCartney after his own performance. 

Jason Kempin/Getty

Following Buffett’s death, McCartney — who played bass on “My Gummie Just Kicked In” on Buffett's final album, Equal Strain on All Parts — paid tribute to the Grammy-nominated star on social media. 

“It seems that so many wonderful people are leaving this world, and now Jimmy Buffett is one of them. I’ve known Jimmy for some time and found him to be one of the kindest and most generous people,” wrote McCartney on X (formerly known as Twitter).

“He had a most amazing lust for life and a beautiful sense of humour. When we swapped tales about the past his were so exotic and lush and involved sailing trips and surfing and so many exciting stories that it was hard for me to keep up with him,” he continued, adding, “So many of us will miss Jimmy and his tremendous personality. His love for us all, and for mankind as a whole.”

McCartney concluded his post, which featured a photo of the duo laughing and holding hands, “So long, Jim. You are a very special man and friend and it was a great privilege to get to know you and love you. Bubbles up, my friend. Love, Paul.”

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Buffett died from Merkel cell carcinoma a rare and aggressive skin cancer, just over eight months ago.

His death was announced in a statement posted on his social media and website .

“Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs," the statement — which was accompanied by a touching photograph of Buffett sitting on a boat — read. "He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many."

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From His Debut Album to a Jimmy Buffett Cover: Toby Keith’s Final Concert in Las Vegas in 2023 (Setlist and Videos)

by Tina Benitez-Eves February 6, 2024, 9:24 am

“I was going to sit around here and do nothing like I have been, or get up and go outside, and don’t let the old man in,” said Keith , shortly before embarking on a run of three concerts in Las Vegas, Nevada during the fall and winter of 2023, while giving a nod to his poignant 2019 song “ Don’t Let the Old Man In ,” which was featured in Clint Eastwood ‘s 2018 film The Mule . Keith, who died on February 5, 2024, at 62, returned to the stage months after his final appearance on television at the People’s Choice Country Awards in September 2023. Shortly after Keith released his 19th album Peso in My Pocket , the country singer and songwriter was diagnosed with stomach cancer in October of 2021 and revealed it to the public the following summer while continuing with chemotherapy, surgery, and other treatments. Desperate to perform again, following a one-off performance that year in his home state of Oklahoma on July 1, 2023, at Hollywood Corners, Keith added on three shows at the Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas on December 10, 11, and 14. In October 2023, Keith also made a surprise appearance at Jason Aldean ’s concert in Oklahoma City and performed his first single and No. 1, “ Should’ve Been A Cowboy .” Before 2023 Keith played two shows in 2022 following his lengthier tour in 2021.

Videos by American Songwriter

[RELATED: Country Icon Toby Keith Dies at 62 Following Stomach Cancer Battle]

“They’re kind of rehab show—get the band back in sync, get me rolling again,” said Keith. “First time in my whole life I’ve been off [for] over two years. I’ve never been off a year in my life.” Keith added, “Through [the pandemic] and cancer, the old devil’s been after me a little bit. I’ve got him by the horns right now, so instead of just sitting around and waiting, we’re gonna get the band back together.”

Opening the night with his 2007 hit “Big Dog Daddy” the title track from his 11th album, Keith moved through a collection of his hits from “I Love This Bar,” “As Good As I Once Was,” “Beer For My Horses,” “How Do You Like Me Now?!” and more. Throughout his two-hour, Keith’s set crossed over most of his 19 albums, from his 1993 self-titled debut and hits “Wish I Didn’t Know Now,” “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” and closing “A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action” through other songs that were never released as singles, including “Somewhere Else,” “I Won’t Let You Down” and “You Shouldn’t Kiss Me Like This.”

[RELATED: 3 Songs You Did n’t Know Toby Keith Wrote for Other Artists]

Before performing “Don’t Let The Old Man In,” during his first night in Vegas on December 10, which also featured special guests Sammy Hagar and Trace Adkins , Keith joked with the audience. “You think I’m dying, don’t you?” he said. “Me and Almighty got this, we’re good, y’all! I get up every day of my whole life, even living out here, I try to be productive and I just ain’t going to let that old man in. I’m going to play it for you tonight. These are great ways to live by.”

Mid-way through the 23-song set on December 14, Keith also paid homage to a friend, the late Jimmy Buffett with a cover of his 1977 hit “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” the title track from Buffet’s “Margaritaville” album. Keith collaborated with Buffett on a cover of Hank Williams ’ classic “Hey Good Lookin’” along with Alan Jackson , Clint Black, Kenny Chesney, and George Strait . Released on Buffett’s 25th album License to Chill , the all-start collaboration went to No. 8 on the  Billboard  Hot Country chart. After closing on “A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action,” Keith ended the night by delivering an encore of his more patriotic songs “American Soldier” and Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue.” On the day of his death, a video from one of Keith’s final shows in December was posted with the caption “And that’s a wrap on the weekend, y’all. Back to it.”

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Toby Keith (@tobykeith)

Set List Frome the Dolby Live at Park MGM, December 14, 2023:

• “Big Dog Daddy”
• “Made In America”
• “God Love Her”
• “I Wanna Talk About Me”
• “Whiskey Girl”
• “Who’s That Man”
• “Wish I Didn’t Know Now”
• “Beer For My Horses”
• “Somewhere Else”
• “I Won’t Let You Down”
• “You Shouldn’t Kiss Me Like This”
• “Don’t Let The Old Man In”
• “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes”
• “Who’s Your Daddy?!”
• “Dream Walkin’”
• “Red Solo Cup”
• “As Good As I Once Was”
• “I Love This Bar”
• “Should’ve Been A Cowboy”
• “How Do You Like Me Now”
• “A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action” Encore
• “American Soldier”
• “Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (Angry American)”

Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for BMI

Behind the Meaning of the Tongue-Twister “She Sells Seashells”

© 2024 American Songwriter

Watch Paul McCartney, the Eagles Perform ‘Let It Be' at Jimmy Buffett Tribute Concert

Paul McCartney celebrated Jimmy Buffett during a tribute concert at the Hollywood Bowl last night, sharing memories of the musician and performing the Beatles' "Let It Be" with the Eagles.

"I had the great pleasure of knowing Jimmy," McCartney told the audience. "And like everyone else on the bill tonight has said, this is one great man. He was generous, he was funny, he'd done just about everything in his life."

He added, "I was on holiday with him and I forgot to bring my guitar, so he had his own guitar strung left-handed for me. And then the next time I saw him he'd had one custom made left-handed for me."

He explained that he sang several songs for Buffett during the last week of his life and wanted to perform one of them for the concert. McCartney, who was introduced by Dave Grohl, showcased the 1970 song at a grand piano while backed by the Eagles.

The concert, "Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett," also featured Brandi Carlile, Kenny Chesney, Jon Bon Jovi, and Zac Brown. The musicians, including McCartney, came together at the end of the show to perform "Margaritaville" with Buffett's own Coral Reefer Band.

Elsewhere during the tribute concert, Coral Reefer Band, Brown, and Grohl teamed up for a cover of Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl," while Sheryl Crow showcased "Fins."

Brown took the opportunity to debut a new song, "Pirates and Parrots," which will officially be released on April 19.

Snoop Dogg also appeared onstage, performing his song "Gin and Juice" for the audience.

Buffett died on Sept. 1, 2023, at the age of 76. At the time, McCartney wrote , "He had a most amazing lust for life and a beautiful sense of humour. When we swapped tales about the past his were so exotic and lush and involved sailing trips and surfing and so many exciting stories that it was hard for me to keep up with him. Right up to the last minute his eyes still twinkled with a humour that said, ‘I love this world and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it'.  So many of us will miss Jimmy and his tremendous personality. His love for us all, and for mankind as a whole."

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Music + concerts, music + concerts | jimmy buffett tribute brings paul mccartney, jane fonda and more to hollywood bowl, the keep the party going: a tribute to jimmy buffett concert included eagles, harrison ford, brandi carlile, snoop dogg, dave grohl and more..

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.

From left, Brandi Carlile, Angelique Kidjo, Sheryl Crow and Jon Bon Jovi share a microphone while performing “Margaritaville” during the finale of Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett on April 11 at the Hollywood Bowl. (Photo by Randall Michelson, Hewitt Silva-Live Nation)

Dave Grohl sits in with the Coral Reefer Band on “Brown-Eyed Girl” during Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett at the Hollywood Bowl on Thursday, April 11. (Photo by Randall Michelson, Hewitt Silva-Live Nation)

Brandi Carlile performs during Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett at the Hollywood Bowl on Thursday, April 11. (Photo by Randall Michelson, Hewitt Silva-Live Nation)

Paul McCartney performs “Let It Be” during Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett on April 11 at the Hollywood Bowl. (Photo by Randall Michelson, Hewitt Silva-Live Nation)

Zac Brown performs with the Coral Reefer Band during Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett on April 11 at the Hollywood Bowl. (Photo by Randall Michelson, Hewitt Silva-Live Nation)

Eagles bassist Timothy B. Schmit performs “Volcano” during Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett on April 11 at the Hollywood Bowl. (Photo by Randall Michelson, Hewitt Silva-Live Nation)

Snoop Dogg leads the crowd in a rendition of “Gin & Juice” during Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett on April 11 at the Hollywood Bowl. (Photo by Randall Michelson, Hewitt Silva-Live Nation)

Pitbull, left, and Jon Bon Jovi perform Pitbull’s song “Thank God & Jimmy Buffett” at the Hollywood Bowl on April 11. (Photo by Randall Michelson, Hewitt Silva-Live Nation)

Jake Shimabukuro performs during Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett on April 11 at the Hollywood Bowl. (Photo by Randall Michelson, Hewitt Silva-Live Nation)

Paul McCartney stands with members of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band at the Hollywood Bowl on Thursday, April 11. (Photo by Randall Michelson, Hewitt Silva-Live Nation)

The evening’s performers sing “Margaritaville” at the end of Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett at the Hollywood Bowl on Thursday, April 11. (Photo by Randall Michelson, Hewitt Silva-Live Nation)

Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett brought out stars of music, movies and sports to honor the late singer-songwriter. (Photo by Randall Michelson, Hewitt Silva-Live Nation)

Paul McCartney, center raises a margarita glass to the sky during the finale of Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett on April 11 at the Hollywood Bowl. (Photo by Randall Michelson, Hewitt Silva-Live Nation)

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

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