There are reports that the July 1st Jimmy Buffett concert with Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, and others on the beach in Gulf Shores may be postponed due to concern over storm surge from Tropical Storm Alex:

Alabama Press-Register:

City officials this afternoon are huddling to discuss what to do about the Jimmy Buffett concert scheduled for Thursday.

The free concert — to be simulcast on the CMT network — could be postponed because of concerns over wind and other effects from the storm, which is expected to go ashore in Mexico or Texas later this week.

As of 4:20 p.m. today, no official announcement had been made with regard to a change in status for the highly anticipated concert, in which native son Buffett was to appear with a cast of friends and special guests in an attempt to boost tourism and spirits in light of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

As of lunchtime today, the Gulf Shores City Council was holding a special meeting to discuss plans for the show and a crane was lifting parts of the state into place.

Buffett World will post the news when an official decision has been made.

The Alabama Press Register has an article on how the July 1st Gulf Coast concert with Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown, and others came to be: “Jimmy Buffett concert comes together quickly”

“To give you the exact timeline,” Philips said, “we literally made the connection the night of the CMT Awards, which was June 9.”

That meant that the day after CMT staff members put on “the biggest production of their lives,” he said, they were being turned on a dime for the Buffett show.

“We’re sending everybody,” Philips said. “It takes an army to make a show this big.”

A.J. Niland of Mobile-based HUKA Entertainment said he expects that by Thursday, the ranks of event workers will have surpassed 700, maybe 900. That includes those managed by HUKA, which is in charge of the site and infrastructure; the contingent from CMT; Buffett’s touring entourage; and a sizeable security team.

Niland said the show owes a lot to the recent Hangout Beach, Music & Arts Festival, which HUKA also produced. That experience, he said, helped HUKA convince Buffett’s team that the Gulf Shores beach was a viable location.

“Shows on the beach are very, very rarely done anywhere,” Niland said of large-scale events like the Hangout fest. “It’s not an ideal venue. We made it an ideal venue.”

Niland, like Philips, described Buffett as being extremely selective about where and when he plays.

“It’s important to them that the fans get the best Buffett experience,” Niland said. “We’re creating Margaritaville on the beach, for sure.”

Mike Foster, marketing manager for the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, said Buffett’s emphasis on quality was a major factor in determining how many concert-goers could attend.

The stage and sound system can only be so big, he noted.

Niland speculated that if the show were open to all, 200,000 fans might have tried to jam in. But a crowd that size would require video and sound production far beyond what was possible, to say nothing of the safety and traffic issues.

“It has to be a safe, enjoyable experience,” he said.

CMT will broadcast the show beginning at 7 pm Thursday. It will rebroadcast an edited version at 6 pm Friday, 8:30 pm July 3, 1 pm July 4, and 10:30 am July 5.

The show will also be shown on CMT.com, and can be heard on Radio Margaritaville.

The circus came to town Tuesday night as Jimmy and the Reefers moved the Under The Big Top Tour to the Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, MI.

Notable additions to the set list this time included “Fruitcakes,” “The Pascagoula Run” for the first time since 2005, and “Margaritaville” with special guest Bret Michaels. “Tin Cup Chalice” was tonight’s final encore.

View the entire set list here.

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

The third leg of the Under The Big Top Tour will conclude Saturday with a show in East Troy, WI. You can still get your tickets now!

The circus came to town Saturday night as Jimmy and the Reefers moved the Under The Big Top Tour to Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX.

Notable additions to the set list this time included “Nothin’ But a Breeze,” “Trip Around the Sun,” and “Northeast Texas Women.” “Growing Older But Not Up” was tonight’s final encore as Jimmy was joined by Mac on Guitar and Harmonies.

View the entire set list here.

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

The second leg of the Under The Big Top Tour is now over. The tour will resume on June 17th in Mansfield, MA at Great Woods. You can still get your tickets now!

At today’s soundcheck in Frisco, Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefers rehearsed the following songs:

• Nothin’ But A Breeze
• Trip Around The Sun
• Northeast Texas Women

Be sure to tune in tonight for the show at 8 pm CT. Listen live on Radio Margaritaville or watch the show on Ustream.