[PICS] Jimmy Buffett wows fans in Waikiki
Jason Genegabus photos
It was a madhouse at Jimmy Buffett’s at the Beachcomber last week, when the restaurant’s namesake hosted a VIP grand opening party on Thursday.
Hundreds of fans, industry insiders and even a few members of Buffett’s extended family were on hand for his performance, which was only scheduled to last an hour.
With most of the Coral Reefer Band in attendance (including ukulele player Jake Shimabukuro) and a special guest appearance by his buddy Henry Kapono, Buffett ended up playing nearly twice as long as originally planned.
There’s plenty of Carribean kitsch here, but that’s to be expected from the guy who sings “Margaritaville.” It’s also obvious that a lot of money – $15 million, to be exact – was invested into the space that used to belong to the legendary Don Ho.
I got to the restaurant shortly before 7 p.m. on Thursday, just a few minutes before Buffett was scheduled to get on stage.
Sure enough, he strolled out with a shaka and a smile shortly after the top of the hour:
Before the music started, I was told by Buffett’s people that only the first two songs were fair game for the media. That translated into just eight minutes.
At least I got a few decent shots. This one and the picture at the top of this blog entry were two of the best I shot:
It was tough going, however, since I was cooped up in a small area that was quite a distance from the stage. Here’s a better look at what my view was like from halfway back in the room:
After my eight minutes were up, I packed up my stuff and said goodbye to Ben Wood, who was there to cover the opening for his column in the Star-Bulletin. I even got to deal with a heckler, which is always a lot of fun.
As I made my way through the restaurant, I noticed why some guests were perfectly happy to sit at tables in the restaurant with no direct view of the stage.
Not only does the sound system at Jimmy Buffett’s sound great, but flat screens are installed over nearly every booth in the restaurant. An in-house video feed provides a great view of the action on stage:
People were having a great time, chowing down on complimentary pupus and knocking back free Land Shark Lager and margaritas made with Margaritaville tequila.
End result? Spontaneous boogie-down action. On at least three separate occasions, I noticed people mingling in an area of the restaurant, like this:
Maybe it’s being in such close proximity to dudes on stilts, or maybe it was Buffett’s running commentary between songs.
But every once in a while, people would jump up and start to dance like nobody was watching:
It was amazing to watch. I didn’t realize people that old could still move like that.
I made my way out as Buffett launched into his first encore, taking some time to wander the rest of the restaurant before leaving. Not only is the interior of the restaurant an adventure for the eyes, but the outdoor dining area and bar looks like the perfect location for a few cocktails at sunset.
Before I left, I noticed the music continued even after riding an escalator downstairs. Additional speakers allow the restaurant to share what’s going on inside, and more flat screens around the entrance and inside a nearby gift shop carried the same live feed being broadcast to screens upstairs:
