Jimmy Buffett Tailgate in Frisco, TX! All photos courtesy the fabulous San Antonio Parrot Head, Lori Parker.
It was a predictably fun and colorful day north of Dallas recently. There were plenty of flowery shirts, leis hanging around sunburned necks, hula skirts flowing and wide smiles. We were ready to celebrate the beginning of summer with Jimmy Buffett and other musicians at the colossal tailgating party surrounding Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
The party in the Gold Lot actually started the evening before Buffett’s May 28 concert with a few hours of terrific live Trop Rock music, courtesy of the Cedar Creek Parrot Head Club. The club’s unique pirate stage was graced with the talents of Thom Shepherd, Coley McCabe, Matt Hoggatt and Kelly Brown. The nearby Red and Blue parking lots were already full of RVs and trailers, but on Friday night, the Gold Lot was only fractionally full with diehard Parrot Heads and fans of Trop Rock music.
Coley McCabe and Thom Shepherd entertain at the Frisco, TX tailgate.
Saturday morning dawned with no rain (and with all the rain Texas has had, this was a very good thing!) and the Gold Lot slowly came to life. The Lone Star Parrot Head Club was busy setting up their “Sharking Lot Party,” masterminded by Terry Thompson, Randy Morgan and a battalion of local Parrot Heads. They sold cheeseburgers, potty passes, chances at Bra Pong and tasty visits to the Shot Luge, as well as Sharking Lot t shirts and Parrot Head Club memberships. Their proceeds are donated every year to the local USO and I’m guessing they were able to give a great deal of money this year.
It was a great chance to see old friends as the Parrot Head Clubs from San Antonio, Cedar Creek, Tyler, Amarillo and Lubbock all had their own camps set up within a very walk able area. Brightly colored costumes, signs and pedal-powered vehicles became more visible as the day of fun progressed. Before long, the live music started up, once again on the Pirate Stage. Those strolling by stopped to listen to the Hill Band, Don Burke, Matt Hoggatt and the Kelly Brown / The Bad Monkeys.
They began to prohibit any motorized vehicles in the parking lots a few years ago, so we saw a variety of people-powered pedal vehicles. And costumes? There were pirates, mermaids, sharks, even Elvis and Carmen Miranda… there is no shortage of imagination in the parking lots at Frisco!
The day was very warm and before too long, it was time to make our way to the stadium to see the Buffett show. Jimmy’s old pal, Jerry Jeff Walker opened the show and the two old friends collaborated on a couple of songs. With a day of terrific fun behind us, the Buffett show was a super way to celebrate with 20,000 of our closest friends!
I live in Port Aransas, Texas and love all things Parrot Head and Trop Rock. I enjoy interviewing Trop Rock artists, attending events and always look forward to seeing Trop Rock friends from around the nation! Author of the Trop Rock lyric infused cozy mystery book "Schooled for Murder." Check out my website at www.CindyMuir.com