Jimmy Buffett tribute brings Paul McCartney, Jane Fonda and more to the Hollywood Bowl – Whittier Daily News

Rarely in the Hollywood Bowl's 100-year history has the legendary venue hosted star power from different fields who filled its stage Thursday evening, April 11.

The occasion was Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett, a chance for the late singer's friends from the world of music and film (plus a few Hall of Fame athletes) to show their love for the tropical troubadour , died last year. of skin cancer at age 76. It was the kind of night where you see and hear things you don't usually see or hear.

“I want to set the record straight I He’s the one who smoked a bowl with Jimmy on the roof of the Vatican,” actress Jane Fonda told the packed house, jokingly correcting a fable that Woody Harrelson had told earlier. Tennis legend John McEnroe later maintained the gag by claiming that he and Buffett had been triggering each other on Wimbledon's Center Court.

While the Pirate winner's tales of prodigious parties, both real and embellished, were a regular source of laughter, the emotional touchstone of the evening was Buffett's humanity and generosity of spirit.

“Jimmy Buffett was a cool guy,” actor Harrison Ford said. “There will never be another like Jimmy. Usually cool guys aren't that nice. Jimmy was beyond nice. He was nice.”

Jon Bon Jovi has compared the life lessons he learned from Buffett to being “at the knees of the Jedi.” Professional surfer Kelly Slater added: “He was keenly aware that life is fleeting and we need to make memories while we are here. »

Paul McCartney, the last individual artist of the evening, summed it up this way: “As everyone else on the bill said, he was a great man.”

The evening was also a celebration of the bond between Buffett and his legions of scalloped fans, affectionately nicknamed “Parrot Heads,” forged over countless bacchanalian summer tours. “Jimmy liked it best when everyone was having a good time,” James Taylor told the crowd in a video he sent from Perth, Australia. “It was his gift.”

But what about the music, you ask? Stunning. Highlights continued for almost three and a half hours. Again, things you don't normally see or hear.

• Brandi Carlile pours all her passion into “Tin Cup Chalice” and “Come Monday,” two of Buffett’s most introspective ballads.
• Jackson Browne delivers a tender reading of “He Went to Paris,” which actor Will Arnett billed as “Jimmy Buffett’s favorite Bob Dylan song.”
• Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro performs a medley of “We Will Rock You” and “My Guitar Gently Weeps,” using distortion and delay to great effect.
• Dave Grohl climbs behind the drums to power a Zac Brown-led version of Van Morrison's “Brown-Eyed Girl,” a staple cover of Buffett's set lists.
• Snoop Dogg puts together a largely elderly AARP audience and sings along to “Gin & Juice.”
• McCartney teams up with the Eagles for an elegiac version of “Let It Be,” a song the Beatles said they personally sang to Buffett days before his death.

Those weren’t the only strong turns. Kenny Chesney, whose “no shoes” vibe is a direct descendant of Buffett’s Caribbean country style, ripped “Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude.” Eagles bassist Timothy B. Schmit, credited with coining the term “Parrot Head” during his time with Buffett's Coral Reefer Band, cheekily performed “Volcano,” changing the lyrics to add commentary policy. JD Souther’s scorching version of “Southern Cross” brought the entire room to its feet.

Sheryl Crow, who was Buffett's backup singer early in his career, had fun with “Fins,” leading fans in the well-known choreography.

Through it all, the Coral Reefer Band provided strong support, playing with determination. The band's singer-guitarist, Mac McAnally, served as the evening's gracious MC and kicked off the evening by singing “It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere.”

The show lasted most of its first three hours until the Coral Reefer Band left the stage. After a video surfaced showing an absent Dave Matthews singing “Lonely Cruise,” the Eagles began playing “Boys of Summer,” “Take It to the Limit” and “In the City,” a polished performance that seemed disconnected from the rest of the show and its intention. The transition time required to prepare for the Eagles' mini-set also undermined the brisk pace of the evening.