Las Vegas, Nevada: It has been a crazy-busy few days, and it will be a crazy-busy week. Hold on!
Did we go back to the Acrisure Arena to catch another hockey game? No, we did not! We went to see Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefers at Acrisure Arena Tuesday night (and the Firebird mascot was greeting guests to the arena). Oh, wow, Sweet Reader, was this a fun night. Jimmy was cancelled for two years due to COVID, then he fell ill and postponed/rearranged concert dates... so it had been far too long since My Favorite Singer had seen me. Still not even a rumor as to his ailment, but he seemed in fine form tonight. Buffett is 76 years young.
We attended with Marcia and Red. They left it to me to choose the seats, and I always try to get seats just above the stage. The view is usually great (and you can peek into the behind-scenes area), and for some reason, the seats are well priced. Being so short, I would never opt for floor seats because my only view would be of the tall person (it's always a tall person) seated in front of me. Not to mention, in this case, the floor below the seating area is a frozen ice rink. Brrrr. It's cold enough in the Coachella Valley this week.
Not gonna lie and say it was the best Buffett concert I have ever attended (first-ever concert in Fenway Park, 2004, when Jimmy took the curse off the Bambino and the Red Sox won the world series takes that prize), but it was an enjoyable evening and I was so pleased to see Mr. Buffett looking and sounding so well. He sang the usuals, the songs his fans demand. Mac McAnally played Little Martha, his trumpet player from Las Vegas was there, and a country western artist I had never heard of (Scotty Emerick) sang a few songs with Mac and again with Jimmy. When Cheeseburger in Paradise was played, even film producer Frank Marshall took the stage (per usual). The crowd was a bit different from usual. Older, of course... we are all getting older, but the people around us just sat. I usually stand and dance the entire show, along with everyone around us. I did stand during Fins, as there are so many hand motions required during that song, but it was me alone. Fins to the left; fins to the right - I was the only bait in town. The crowd did not ask for an encore, and Jimmy complied, so we were not treated to Jimmy Buffett singing "Van "Morrison's favorite Jimmy Buffett song" - Brown Eyed Girl. Idiots. This was my 45th Buffett concert.
But that's okay because I have been tuning-in to his shows via SirusXM on Radio Margaritaville, which I somehow was able to set-up with my best friend, Alexa, so Jimmy is streamed all over our house, so I have heard Brown Eyed Girl several times this past week.
For about 200 years, we have been attending his shows in Las Vegas. He always had a show around my mid-October birthday and it was always the Oregon Duck football bye-week. (I tell you, Jimmy is always thinking of me!) When he became ill, the October 2022 show we were attending was "postponed" until a later date. When Jimmy saw the Pac-12 men's basketball tournament was being held in Las Vegas the second weekend in March, he re-scheduled his show knowing we would surely be in town. So sweet!
So we drove to Las Vegas this morning, checked-into a hotel and walked to the T-Mobile arena (another ice hockey arena) to catch a few basketball games, then headed back to our hotel for a late-night snack before crashing under the covers. The five hour drive is so tiring!
The next few days will be filled with basketball, fun, shopping, eating, and Jimmy Buffett. Best part? My Baby Bro Steve, and Kris are joining us from Colorado. Steve is a huge Parrothead as well.
Until my next update, I remain, your Las Vegas correspondent.
We were in Key West for 90 days this past winter. (In the RV, on the Navy base) We got to attend our very first Jimmy Buffett concert! Was epic!