I have been a ParrotHead since the very first Jimmy Buffet song I heard. From live performances in Key West to the Trop, when it was called the Thunder Dome, I have been a die hard Buffet fan. I could not pass this weekends' Palm Harbor ParrotHead party. I dusted off the Harley grabbed a Buffet T-Shirt some flip flops and headed up US 19. A scant 30 minutes or so later Thresea and I were in "Down Town Palm Harbor" which has a very genuine Key West type feel. We passed on the Cheese Burgers in Paradise and instead dropped by Molly Goodheads for some great fish and stuffed mushrooms. Then on to the party. The crowd was big, older and the Buffet tribute band, The Caribbean Chillers, was great!
Jimmy Buffet has been the troubadour to at least three generations. Problem is the crowd is getting older and the newest "constant on" generation doesn't relate well to the laid back, disconnected lifestyle Buffets' songs and books espouse. The Caribbean Chillers lead singer had just turned 60 and from his comments he was still trying to adjust to the challenges of his newest decade. It was fascinating to watch the crowd switch from looking at their cell phones to singing along with their favorite Buffet tune.
It's still too early to determine who will be the alternative life style leader of the new I-Phone, I-Pad, Droid, Kindel always connected generation, but I doubt it will Buffet. A picture of a Parrot on a Droid, no matter how the high resolution, just can't equal that same Parrot sitting on your shoulder at a bar with your mind totally disconnected or laying for hours under a palm tree with a pitcher of margaritas staring pointlessly at the ocean. Sooner or later every generation, so far, has tired of the pressures they self inflict on them selves and look for a way out. This one is no different; they are just waiting for the right song from the right person. Let's hope they find it soon. Palm Harbor throws a great party.
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