Jimmy Buffett kept it in Texas Saturday night as the Lounging at the Lagoon Tour moved from Austin to Houston.

Speaking of Austin, the set list was identical to the Austin City Limits show. See Houston’s set list here.

Buffett moves the tour east this week, playing Charlotte on Thursday and Atlanta on Saturday.

View the full tour schedule and find tickets here.

Ken Hoffman of the Houston Chronicle got a rare look at Jimmy Buffett’s rehearsal process this week as the Lounging at the Lagoon Tour got ready to kick off.

Monday I had total access to Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band’s final rehearsal before their 2012 Lounging at the Lagoon tour starts in The Woodlands. The band began practicing two weeks ago in an empty warehouse near Austin. It was the first time an outsider was invited to a full-blown rehearsal. Here’s what I heard and saw.

Technicians and crew arrived around 9 a.m. The stage had been set up since the start of rehearsals. It is the stage that Buffett will take on the road. The warehouse, front to back, was turned into a concert venue, complete with props, soundboard, lighting and video production areas and upstairs catering. The only thing missing was an audience. The place was eerily quiet.

Bicycles were leaned against aisle railings. The crew needs bikes to get around. There was a portable golf driving range at the back of the house. Tuesday was a day off. It sounded like everybody was planning to play 18.

Although the floor and seats were empty, the warehouse was decked out for a packed concert. Chaise lounges and “Lounging at the Lagoon” signs were set up outside the entrances for fans’ photo opportunities. Pretty girls will be there to keep the line moving. The photo ops and chaise lounges were Buffett’s idea.

I learned that practically everything you see at a Jimmy Buffett concert was Buffett’s idea. He’s the boss, and everybody in the warehouse – 11 Coral Reefers, the lighting crew, six video technicians, four sound guys, two costume coordinators, two large security men, tour manager, accountant, IT wizard, Radio Margaritaville disc jockey, stage decorator and even the guy who runs onstage to hand guitars to Buffett – knows it. He’s Bubba.

The band began playing at 3:30 p.m. without Buffett. It did a jazzy song called “Give Henry the Receipt,” written and performed by backup singer Nadirah Shakoor, and dedicated to Buffett’s tour accountant Henry Rosquette. He was there, too.

Buffett arrived a few minutes later, wearing a white baseball cap, aviator sunglasses, white T-shirt, pink shorts and flip-flops. He headed straight to video production. The entrance was his idea, which has tricky special effects. He watched every inch of tape.

Buffett removed his cap and sunglasses, kicked off his flip-flops and climbed onstage at 4 p.m.

The video wall behind the band comprises 96 big-screen televisions. The stage is decorated to look like a lagoon. Buffett’s usual coconut trees are replaced by swamp grass and hanging cypress trees.

The rehearsal lasted about three hours, lengthened by cutting up between songs, Buffett banter and an occasional blooper. Buffett couldn’t get the beginning notes of “Jolly Mon” right, before realizing he had grabbed the wrong guitar.

Buffett wasn’t happy with the video that accompanied “Come Monday.” He told the video producer, “I have some newer video I shot last year in Montana on my bicycle and on a horse. Let’s use that. Trust me, it will work better.”

Be sure to read the full article here for more interesting tidbits.

Buffett takes the tour to Houston on Saturday for a show at the Woodlands.

At Austin City Limits Live on Wednesday night, Jimmy Buffett reached deep into his catalog to play a few tunes that hadn’t seen the stage in years.

• “You’ll Never Work in Dis Bidness Again” was last played January 1991
• “Sea of Heartbreak” had only been played live one other time on May 29, 2004 in Dallas, TX
• “Mermaid in the Night” was last played June 30, 1989 in Auburn Hills, MI
• “Who’s the Blonde Stranger?” was last played March 17, 2001 in San Jose, CA
• “Gulf Coast Highway” was last played April 21, 2008 in Houston, TX

See the entire set list here.

This was the kickoff show for the 2012 Lounging at the Lagoon Tour. Buffett heads to Houston on Saturday, then hits Charlotte and Atlanta next week.

See the full tour schedule and get your tickets now!

Jimmy Buffett takes his Welcome to Fin Land 2012 Tour to Omaha tonight, performing in the town for the first time since he played a show at the Cheeseburger in Paradise in 2004 to celebrate its grand opening.

The concert from the CenturyLink Center will be broadcast live on Radio Margaritaville. You can listen for free on the web or on Sirius XM, beginning shortly after 8 pm CT.

After tonight’s show, Buffett stays in the Midwest… hitting Des Moines on Tuesday, Dallas on Thursday, and Kansas City on Saturday. Get your tickets now!

Several of you fell for it, but our article on Sunday about Saints coach Sean Payton joining Jimmy Buffett’s band this summer was indeed an April Fools joke. Or was it?

Buffett played a free show at Woldenberg Park in New Orleans on Sunday night and during “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” Sean Payton came out on stage and played the bongos!

photo by Times Picayune

Jimmy played to the hometown crowd, sporting a “Free Sean Payton” shirt during his set. Don’t look for the coach to be Lounging at the Lagoon this summer though. Our story was a complete and total fabrication.

Thankfully for manatees, last year’s April Fools story never came true: “Buffett reverses position on saving manatees.”

Update – Here’s video: