Happy Labor Day Weekend!

As Jimmy Buffett sings in the beginning of “Come Monday,” Labor Day Weekend shows have always made for special times! Radio Margaritaville brings you a whole long weekend of them with concerts each day.

“Labor Day Weekend Shows” Broadcast Schedule:

Friday, September 2nd
10am: Mansfield, MA (9/2/99)
6pm: Chicago,IL (9/5/05)

Saturday, September 3rd
10am: Bristow (Manassas), VA (9/5/09)
6pm: Mansfield, MA (8/28/03)

Sunday, September 4th
10am: Foxboro, MA (9/2/07)
6pm: Mansfield, MA (9/2/99)

Monday, September 5th
10am: Chicago, IL (9/5/05)
6pm: Bristow (Manassas), VA (9/5/09)

(All times Eastern)

Before Jimmy Buffett took the stage on Thursday night at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia, he spoke briefly with USA Today:

He told USA TODAY that only “300” fans had complained about the no tailgating policy, out of 25,000 tickets originally sold for the show.

While he knows it ticked a lot of fans off, he says, “I can’t argue with the reasoning behind it,” a reference to the fact that four post-concert drunk driving deaths in the last two years prompted the no tailgating policy.

However, inside the Jiffy Lube concert venue, which is owned and operated by Live Nation, fans could buy $14 margaritas, $10 glasses of wine and $10-$13 cups of beers right up through Buffett’s third encore song, just before they would get in their cars to drive home.

As for why the show seemed emptier than usual, Buffett said “10,000 people asked for refunds.” That, however, he attributed to Hurricane Irene, which pushed Saturday’s concert to Thursday, noting that a lot of his fans make the show “a destination.”

After a 5 day hurricane delay, Jimmy Buffett took the stage at Jiffy Lube Live on the outskirts of Washington, DC on a gorgeous Thursday evening.

Jiffy Lube Live angered many fans by banning tailgating this year, (read “Parrotheads particularly peeved at Jiffy Lube”) and Jimmy made only a couple subtle references to the ban.

The set list was largely the same as previous shows, with the appropriate exception of “Surfing in a Hurricane,” played for the first time since January in Australia. View the full set list here.

Buffett made news in his pre-show interview, announcing that he’ll be returning to Denver for the first time since 2004 and Phoenix, which he last played in 2009.

The 2011 Welcome to Fin Land Tour continues in Paris later this month before heading to Las Vegas for two shows at the MGM Grand in October.. Get your tickets now!

In the pre-show interview before the show on Thursday night in Bristow, VA Jimmy announced that he’ll be returning to Denver and Phoenix this year.

No other details were given, but the shows will presumably be in either October or November.

Buffett last played Denver in 2004 (Pepsi Center) and Phoenix in 2009 (Cricket Pavilion).

We’ll post ticket information when it becomes available.

It’s been nearly 31 years since Jimmy Buffett’s first live album was released, and now you can finally get the double live You Had To Be There at iTunes and AmazonMP3!

You Had To Be There was recorded live in Atlanta and Miami in the fall of 1978. If you’ve never heard it, it’s unlike any of the other live albums, featuring lots of energy and several songs you’ve probably never heard live before.

Preview the tracks below:

Get the live album now at iTunes for $11.99 or at AmazonMP3 for $9.49.

(hat tip Mike)