Jimmy Buffett and a stripped-down version of the Coral Reefer Band performed at the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island on Sunday afternoon. The Providence Journal reviews the show:

Jimmy Buffett’s concert to close the Newport Folk Festival was perfectly good as far as Buffett concerts go (though by the necessity of the festival context it was shorter than average), but it was far from the acoustic performance that had been billed.

True, there’s always been more than a bit of the singer-songwriter in Buffett’s oeuvre, anyway. And last night’s show included such examples as “A Pirate Looks at 40” and a mostly acoustic “Come Monday,” and Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (who had played earlier on the main stage) joined him for Welch’s traditional-based “Elvis Blues.” He also pulled out a skillful, straightforward acoustic encore of Dylan’s “Blowin’ In the Wind.”

While Buffett reminded the Boston Globe this spring that he came up as a folk singer, said he might bring only one other musician and that “it won’t be a Parrothead show,” it did a pretty good approximation of one, with favorites such as “Margaritaville,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Brown-Eyed Girl,” “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” “Fins” — you know the drill.

Festival associate producer Jay Sweet said that there had been a miscommunication of some kind with Buffett’s management — “it was a surprise that he brought the heat” — but maintained that “he put together a set list and a band that was appropriate for the Newport Folk Festival. … Was it a folk show? No. Was it a stripped-down version of a Jimmy Buffett show? Yes.” The band was somewhat smaller — Buffett left the horn section at home — but the electric guitars and drums still pounded away. And the audience (announced at 7,500) didn’t seem to mind.

Read the entire article here.

Did you attend the show? Post your comments on our Discussion Board!

The 2008 Year Of Still Here Tour continued Tuesday night as Jimmy moved the tour into Indianapolis for his annual visit.

Returning to Deer Creek for his 25th show, Jimmy brought out a change early with “I Will Play for Gumbo” returning to the set list for the first time since September 20, 2007 in New York City. No other changes occurred but “Volcano” was again in the first set just like Bridgeview.

The second set didn’t include any surprises, but it did feature “Take Another Road” and “Last Mango in Paris,” a carry over from the Bridgeview show. This was just the second performance of “Last Mango” since 2006.

The First Encore opened the same way with “Fins.” The second song was different again as this time honoring a sign request Jimmy played “Glory Days.” The second encore brought out yet another A1A tune, this time it was “Nautical Wheelers,” last played September 19, 2006 in Austin, TX at a Kinky Friedman benefit show.

View the entire set list here.

Did you attend the show? Share your thoughts on our Discussion Board or post your photos in our Photo Gallery.

Update – The Indy Star has a review of the show: “Parrothead Party Meets Expectations”

The Noblesville Daily Times also has a review, including a couple of photos: “Beachballs, Beverages, and Buffett”

The third leg of the 2008 “Year of Still Here” has now concluded. Jimmy’s next show will be at the Newport Folk Festival this Sunday. This show will not be broadcast on Radio Margaritaville. The next leg of the tour will begin August 24 in Atlantic City. There’s still plenty of time to Get your tickets!

The 2008 Year Of Still Here Tour continued Thursday night as Jimmy moved the tour into Chicago for his annual visit.

This year, Jimmy’s Chicago stop was in Toyota Park for the first time ever and the first of two shows. The opening show featured a change right away as a solo version of “Hey Good Lookin'” started things off. It was the first ever acoustic version and the first time the song had been played in any form since June 30th of last year in Atlantic City. Other changes saw no “Pencil Thin Mustache” for the first time since the opening show in Houston and the return of “Jamaica Mistaica” for the first time since September 20th of last year in New York City.

The second set didn’t include any surprises, but it did feature a few guests. The Juke Joint Duo and Greg “Fingers” Taylor were back again to put some blues in the show and they even got Jimmy involved again as he helped out on a fantastic version of “Sweet Home Chicago.” Fingers also stuck around for “Son of a Son of a Sailor” and of course “A Pirate Looks at Forty.”

The First Encore opened the same way with “Fins” featuring another hot Fingers solo but this time Jimmy opted for “We Are the People Our Parents Warned us About” instead of “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35.” This was the first performance of “We are the People” since January at the Hong Kong show. The second encore was not a complete surprise this time but was still very nice as Jimmy played the John Prine classic “It’s a Big Old Goofy World” for just the second time ever. No Steve Goodman songs this time which makes you wonder what where in for Saturday Night.

View the entire set list here.

Did you attend the show? Share your thoughts on our Discussion Board or post your photos in our Photo Gallery.

Update – There are two reviews of last night’s show:

Chicago Tribune – “Buffett moves smoothly into Toyota Park”
Southtown Star – “Buffett fans sip margaritas and chill out at Toyota Park “

The third leg of the 2008 “Year of Still Here” will continue Saturday night with another show in Bridgeview, IL just outside of Chicago. There’s still plenty of time to Get your tickets!

Jimmy Buffett’s Year Of Still Here Tour rolls into southern Chicago this week for two shows at Toyota Park (Thursday and Saturday). The Southtown Star has an article on the upcoming shows:

The soccer stadium and concert venue will open its parking lot at 9 a.m. Thursday and Saturday so fans can tailgate before the 8 p.m. concerts.

Tickets still are available for Thursday’s concert, but Saturday’s concert is sold out, said Dan Garnett, the stadium’s general manager.

About 150 fans with mobile homes and recreational vehicles – 50 on Thursday and 100 on Saturday – will have the flexibility to spend the night in the parking lot if they want, Garnett said.

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For the first time, tailgaters will be able to buy ice before the concerts and concessions at stands set up in the parking lot, Garnett said.

“We are trying to make people be self-sufficient, but we want to have necessities like ice,” Garnett said.

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For safety reasons, no charcoal grills are allowed, he said. Only propane grills will be allowed.

“If people are drinking, the last thing we want is for them to bump into a grill full of hot coals,” he said.

Read the entire article here.

The 2008 Year Of Still Here Tour continued Tuesday night as Jimmy moved the tour into Pittsburgh for his annual visit.

Back at Star Lake yet again, the first set saw no surprises. It did however feature a few changes as “Boat Drinks” opened with Jimmy solo while “License to Chill” replaced “The Tiki Bar is Open” in the second spot and “Cowboy in the Jungle” moved up to the sixth spot replacing “Miss You So Badly.” Also back was the Jimmy and Sonny Landreth duet “USS Zydecoldsmobile,” sneaking in at twelve just before the intermission.

The second set didn’t include any surprises either, but it did feature a different order. “Coconut Telegraph” kicked the second half off, just it’s second appearance this tour. Other highlights from the second half include “Take Another Road” making just it’s second appearance since 2001 and “Miss You So Badly” making it’s tour debut for the second half of the set.

The First Encore was the same as most of the tour with “Fins” and “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35” staying put. The second encore was again a surprise, as Jimmy acknowledged the fact that he had been playing rare songs to close the show, then followed that with the ultra-rare “Death of An Unpopular Poet,” last played at Jerry Jeff Walker’s Birthday Bash on March 23, 2002. This was just the fifth known performance of the song.

View the entire set list here.

Did you attend the show? Share your thoughts on our Discussion Board or post your photos in our Photo Gallery.

Update: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a review of the show: “Concert Review: Buffett takes his Parrotheads to the beach”

The third leg of the 2008 “Year of Still Here” will continue Thursday night with the first of two shows in Bridgeview, IL just outside of Chicago. There’s still plenty of time to Get your tickets!