Post #165000 by Thomas on Fri, Jun 10, 2005 1:37 PM

I've never thought Jimmy B. is "tiki," and I think that discussion is a bit silly.

At the same time, I'm not personally familiar with the psuedo-tiki, "drunken frat boy" scene that so many associate with Buffett. I'm sure it exists, but I don't encounter it. I suspect most "drunken frat boys" nowadays aren't listening to musicians who are a few months away from the age of 60, but I could be wrong.

One sort of "compartmentalized" piece of my social life involves getting together with Buffett enthusiasts and having a good time once in a while. There is a rather remarkable phenomenon called Parrot Head Clubs. I scoffed at this at first, thinking nothing could be lamer than adults being in some sort of "fan club" for some aging rock star (I had no interest in his work at that time). But it so happens the LA, NV, and AZ clubs stage an annual event at one of the resorts around here. I went and was amazed at what I found. Singer-songwriters in the "tropical music" niche genre, performing original material. A highly festive, colorful atmosphere, with many of the participants being quite a bit older than I would have expected. A very mellow "vibe" (I know that's a goofy word, but hey). A "vending" scene that could, incidentally, be of potential interest to some TC'ers. And get this: raffles, silent auctions, etc., all for raising money for charity (Breast Cancer Research). The event raised many thousands of dollars for this and other causes. It might be of passing interest to some that, to quote the official website, http://www.phip.com , "During the Calendar Year 2004 Local Chapters of Parrot Heads In Paradise, Inc. Contributed Over $2.2 Million and 404,690 Volunteer Hours to Various Local and National Charities."

I'm just passing this on in case it is news of interest to someone. You can dislike JB's music and still acknowlege that this is a pretty interesting, shall we say, "sociological phenomenon." I'm not aware that other recording artists have inspired this kind of thing, in which people get together and combine festivity with charity fundraising. I find it pretty impressive.