I've been wanting to see Jimmy Buffett in a live concert for quite a few years.
It finally happened. Not because I couldn't have gone before, but because by the time I heard about a concert close enough for me to consider it, the tickets...well, they were NLA. No Longer Available.
Thanks, this time, to Debbie and Bill Tarplee, owners/operators of Tideline Marine, the place where I work and keep my boats, this time around, the story was different.
Debbie scored a half dozen tickets. Two for she and Bill, two for their son, Brad, and his wife, Alexa, and two for my wife, Robie, and me.
I've been to a LOT of concerts over the decades. Admittedly, 90-plus percent were on assignment, and I was photographing the event, and shooting backstage pictures. I enjoyed those concernts, most of them, anyway. But, they were work. Coming home without the bacon is not an option, and that creates stress for any photographer.
Naturally, I thought of the Buffett concert in Raleigh as a fun assignment. I mentally did a checklist: camera, multiple strobes, long lenses, lotsa film...errr, that was the old days. Now, I made sure that I had a 4 gig card and a 2 gig backup card. I wasn't pre-planning a commercial event, but that once-in-a-lifetime shot is always in the back of every photog's mind.
Then, I read the fine print...wasn't really small, it was actually very bold:
So, o-kay. I would get to actually enjoy a concert. For a change. And, it was BUFFETT! Cool. I get to be a civilian. All we had to worry about was food and something to sit on. No problem, mon.
We arrived early enough. We were parked by 5:30, more than two hours before showtime. And, we were only 10 minutes, on foot, from he Time Warner Pavilion. Another cool!
It finally happened. Not because I couldn't have gone before, but because by the time I heard about a concert close enough for me to consider it, the tickets...well, they were NLA. No Longer Available.
Thanks, this time, to Debbie and Bill Tarplee, owners/operators of Tideline Marine, the place where I work and keep my boats, this time around, the story was different.
Debbie scored a half dozen tickets. Two for she and Bill, two for their son, Brad, and his wife, Alexa, and two for my wife, Robie, and me.
I've been to a LOT of concerts over the decades. Admittedly, 90-plus percent were on assignment, and I was photographing the event, and shooting backstage pictures. I enjoyed those concernts, most of them, anyway. But, they were work. Coming home without the bacon is not an option, and that creates stress for any photographer.
Naturally, I thought of the Buffett concert in Raleigh as a fun assignment. I mentally did a checklist: camera, multiple strobes, long lenses, lotsa film...errr, that was the old days. Now, I made sure that I had a 4 gig card and a 2 gig backup card. I wasn't pre-planning a commercial event, but that once-in-a-lifetime shot is always in the back of every photog's mind.
Then, I read the fine print...wasn't really small, it was actually very bold:
No cameras are permitted for this performance.
So, o-kay. I would get to actually enjoy a concert. For a change. And, it was BUFFETT! Cool. I get to be a civilian. All we had to worry about was food and something to sit on. No problem, mon.
We arrived early enough. We were parked by 5:30, more than two hours before showtime. And, we were only 10 minutes, on foot, from he Time Warner Pavilion. Another cool!
Tailgating. A way of life. A way to chill a bit before the Big Event.
Chow time. Picked up some chicken and fixin's before we got to the parking lot.
Lex, the birthday girl. Yep. It was her birthday. Can't think of a better way to celebrate it.
One reel-axed man. For a change.
This gent had a camera. Of course, we were still in the parking lot.
Ya know, it didn't look this high when I climbed up here.
Hope there's no broken glass down there.
FinLand. The sharks are circling.
Ok. We need a BIG smile.
Oh, yeah. We are sooo ready for some good music. And, we were not disappointed. The lead-off band started on time, and they played 15 minutes. Buffett and his band kept it up, including an encore, for a tad over two hours! That's what makes him so such a popular live performer.
It's about time to party with Buffett.
Lex and Brad
The Double-R Team.
Robie and Raeford
(Photo by Brad)
I gotta get me one of these. It would look great flying from our boat,
Pirate Attack
I'm also looking for a cannon, something that the BATF will not lose sleep over.
No Buffett pictures. But, that's not a problem. I have been to Margaritaville, reinforced my status as a Pirate, and the music is bouncing around in my head. Gotta add a couple more Buffett CD's to my stash...I prefer the ones recorded in concert.
If you like his kind of music, and you want to see a very good live show, keep your eyes open for tickets when he's coming to a location near you. You won't be disappointed.
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