Laughlin Entertainer: Cover Stories

When you're at the Quick Stop and standing in line behind a guy wearing a beer stein hat, palm tree-festooned Hawaiian shirt, dark glasses shaped like ukeleles and flip flops looking like pirate ships, don't be alarmed. It's just a guy heading to the Avi for a Jimmy Buffett fix.

And he's going to get that fix via the Avi's “Parrothead Weekend-a Parrothead Life for Me” on Friday, August 15, and Saturday, August 16, complete with Buffett-style entertainment, contests, drink specials and giveaways.

Now, some readers may be asking themselves, so what's a “Parrothead”?

The whole “Parrothead” phenomenon has taken hold due to the music and style of singer Jimmy Buffett. His knack for striking more than just musical chords with his fans has created a sub-culture of revelers who definitely embrace the “changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes” beach culture and philosophy-even if the beach is in the middle of the desert. The parrot has become the symbol of this tropical bent.

A few years ago, the Avi began the “Parrothead” ball rolling by hosting an event in the spring called “Phins to the West.” This congregation of “Parrothead” clubs from across the west has become more successful with each passing year-thus, making it seem like more than a coincidence that the Avi then went out and built Laughlin's only tropical lagoon/party style pool.

The downside to the “Phins” confab is that most events are not open to the general public. So the Avi Resort created the “Parrothead Weekend” to appeal to both the die-hard “parrot” and the general public who love to party regardless of the theme.

So everyone is invited to this weekend's events with no cover charge to catch any of the music or activities.

So what's happenin'?

Full-blown parties are Friday, August 15 and Saturday, August 16, in the Convention Center from 7:30 p.m. to midnight. The featured act is A1A, the only Jimmy Buffett tribute band given the nod by Buffett himself. They play from 8 p.m. to midnight both nights (for more on A1A; see next page). The public is invited and admission is free (must be at least 21 years of age to attend, however). All those in attendance are encouraged to wear the “appropriate” garb-a.k.a, flowered/beach shirts, sandals, tank tops or anything else that screams “Parrothead!”

Drink specials at the Friday and Saturday night parties will include $2 Coronas and $1.50 margaritas (in the Convention Center only).

Other events planned for the weekend include contests such as “Best Parrothead Costume”, hula hoops and limbo. There will also be a Jimmy Buffett karaoke contest for cash prizes of $200 for first, $100 for second and $75 for third. It's too late to register for the karaoke contest but that doesn't mean you can't root for your favorites to take home the cash.

There will also be raffles and a silent auction throughout each evening co-sponsored by the Colorado River Parrotheads with the monies raised going for causes in the local area-and thus, in keeping with the “Parrothead” mantra of “Party with a Purpose.”

A Parrothead Package...

Room and meal weekend packages are available for $193 and include rooms for Friday and Saturday night; one buy-one-get-one free Friday night Seafood Buffet; and two free breakfast buffets. This special requires advance reservations which can be made by calling 1-866-463-6284 and asking for code PAR08.

The following is a closer look at A1A Live.

A1A

A MUSICAL

BUFFETT BUFFET

AVI CONVENTION CENTER

The featured act of the Avi's “Parrothead Weekend” is the only Jimmy Buffett tribute band to be personally recognized by Buffett as an O.K. deal. The group is A1A, and with roots going back to its origins in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1989, is considered the first Jimmy Buffet tribute band to ever “phlock” together.

A1A not only received Buffett's endorsement but has seen members of Buffett's Coral Reefers Band sit in with them for various shows-including Greg “Fingers” Taylor, Amy Lee, Mike Utley, Robert Greenidge and Peter Mayer.

The group recorded their first CD with all original material in 2003 called Ship Happens!!, featuring Fingers Taylor on harmonica. It was produced by Jim Mayer, Buffett's bass player. The band's second CD A1A and Friends Live at Hemingways featured Buffett's saxophone player and band leader Amy Lee.

The Laughlin entertainer recently talked with Jeff Pike, founder of A1A, about the band, their music and the show they're bringing to the Avi Resort for the annual “Parrothead Weekend”, Friday, August 15 and Saturday, August 16.

Q. Who's in the group you're bringing to the Avi?

A. In addition to myself on acoustic guitar and lead vocals, we have James Cobb on the pan steel guitar and harmonica; Charles McDonald on electric guitar; Koney Ferrell bass guitar; Paul O'Daniel on drums; and Jarred Hamilton playing keyboards.

Q. How did you form A1A?

A. I was actually doing a solo Buffett tribute in 1988 and had a strong following in Atlanta. I met Scott Nickerson through ads in the paper and we started the first group-and we also became good friends. Scott started the first Parrothead Club in Atlanta, with 30 members. Now there are more than 200 clubs around the country, which is amazing.

We originally got our start in 1992, when we won a sound-alike contest for Margaritaville Records, Jimmy's record label at the time. We continued playing part time until 1994 when we went full time. We've been full time ever since. We've had a wild, but fun “trip around the sun.”'

We don't just do Jimmy Buffett songs. We also do our own music and have a new CD out called Beachwrecked. It's “trop rock”-but we don't sound like Jimmy Buffett on our own stuff. In 2003, we recorded a vacation-concept CD titled, Ship Happens!! It was our first original CD and it did pretty well, got good reviews and received decent air play on Jimmy Buffett radio stations.

Q. Why a Jimmy Buffett tribute?

A. When we won the 1994 contest for Margaritaville Records, we got to know Jimmy and his band members and became friends. His members would play with us and we would play with them. We were invited to play with them in an MTV video and on a record.

By 1998, we were the only Buffett tribute band that existed. We broke ground for everybody. We just fell into it, being in the right place at the right time. We were the first and only band to headline the annual Jimmy Buffett Parrothead Convention from 1993 to 1999.

Q. What is it about his music that appeals to you?

A. I have loved his music since I was in high school. I loved his album You Had to Be There. In the 70s, he was more rock and roll music than beach music. The beach came later. I got to really appreciate his music after college, when I started playing it live.

I always liked his personal outlook on life-his escapism, his poetry and his way of life. I loved his attitude of taking it easy. His music makes you feel good. It takes you away-you stray, forget about everything. He's about having fun in life because it's too short. And he's not pretentious-not trying to change the world.

I also like the fact that he continues to grow musically. He doesn't stay in one place on the horizon. His music has grown within the realm he's created and that has always appealed to me.

Q. What Buffett song gets the most response?

A. It's impossible to answer that because they're all so popular with Parrotheads. There are so many wonderful songs. He's recorded 30 albums. He's said, “It's frustrating to do what I do because I have to play these songs people want to hear like ‘Cheeseburger in Paradise” when I want to play the obscure songs I never get to play.”

We go through the same kind of thing. We put the obscure things in on occasion, but we always have to put in “Cheeseburger” and “Volcano.” People love that song-it's a vacation song. They sing, they chant, the yell. That's usually the one that gets the audience going.

Q. Which one is your favorite one to play?

A. It depends on my mood. I could do two sets of ballads. But out of all of his songs, I've always loved “Come Monday.” It's my all-time favorite song. I've heard it five billion times-I've played it five billion times-and it's still one of my favorite songs.

Q. What is the goal of the band?

A. I've always had a separate career from the group. I have my own music that's different away from the trop rock and I have my own radio show called “Time After Island Time” that airs on Jimmy's internet radio station, JimmyDreamz.com.

A couple of the guys have their own solo projects going.

But the band is our full time gig that's kept us busy. It's always been our day job-it's made us a good living and it's fun.

As a goal for the band, I'd like to see the band grow bigger-do more of our own music and tour on a more national level-doing bigger concerts with more guys.

And personally, my goal is to lose some weight. We could become a John Goodman tribute.

Q. What's the future of Buffett tribute bands?

A. Jimmy's popularity continues to grow and, after he's gone, his popularity will keep going. I don't think it will ever wane or fade-which is good for us.