The circus came to town again Thursday night as Jimmy and the Reefers moved the Under The Big Top Tour to the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA.

Notable additions to the set list this time included “School Boy Heart,”, a full acoustic version of “Banana Republics,” and “Window on the World.” “Defying Gravity” was tonight’s final encore, last played in full last November in New York.

View the entire set list here.

Did you attend the show? Share your thoughts on our Discussion Board.

The fifth and final leg of the Under The Big Top Tour will conclude Saturday with a show in Las Vegas. You can still get your tickets now for any shows left!

The ABC comedy “Modern Family” mentioned Jimmy Buffett in this week’s episode.

From Wikipedia’s episode entry:

Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) soon learn that all of Lily’s friends have been put in preschool causing the two to panic. Mitchell calls Claire if Wagon Wheel is a good school and asks her if she can get them an appointment. At Wagon Wheel the assistant tells them with their diversity (with Mitchell and Cameron being gay and Lily being asian). Soon Mitchell starts calling Cameron his life partner to seem even more diverse to make it in Billingsley. They soon become beaten at their own game causing Cameron to pretend to be a Native American. They eventually decide to go to Wagon Wheel after failing their interview.

At one point, the receptionist at one of the schools describes their chances at getting into whatever preschool they want as being very good because of their diversity:

“You’re diverse times three – you’re like Jimmy Buffett tickets to these hybrid-driving straight white folks.”

(H/T to everyone that sent this in)

Update – Watch the clip here.

Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band take their 2010 Under The Big Top Tour to Southern California tonight as they play a show at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater at Irvine Meadows in Irvine, California.

You can listen to the show live on Radio Margaritaville on the web at www.radiomargaritaville.com or on Sirius 31 / XM 55. Jimmy will take the stage shortly after 11 pm ET / 8 pm PT.

After tonight there’s only one show left: this Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

ESPN’s E:60 has a report on Newton Marshall, the 27 year old who was the first Jamaican to participate in the Iditarod dogsled race. Jimmy Buffett is a sponsor of the team (and one of the dogs is named after him) and was interviewed for the story.

Watch below:

Margaritaville is coming to the Windy City. Jimmy Buffett will open a Margaritaville Cafe at the famed Navy Pier in downtown Chicago after beating out 10 other bidders:

The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which owns and operates the pier, approved the lease Wednesday morning.

“So, we’ll have the Caribbean in February on Navy Pier,” said David Mosena, board chairman. The authority is hoping the restaurant and entertainment venue will serve as an attendance magnet year-round.

Buffett, in a prepared statement, expressed his excitement for the new venue, targeted to open next spring.

“From my earliest days in the city, playing the Quiet Knight on Belmont, to the pinnacle of live performances to me, singing in front of the ivy wall at Wrigley Field, I have had a long and wonderful history and affection for the people, the music, the art and the food of the Windy City. I have always thought of Chicago as a beach town, a pretty big one, but still a beach town.”

Terms of the deal were not immediately available.

Read more about Jimmy’s Margaritaville Cafe empire here.

Update – The restaurant is expected to open next Spring in the space currently occupied by Charlie’s Ale House.