Tinley Park resident John Andrews is dusting off his tiki torches and prepping his margarita glasses for the return of his annual Jimmy Buffett tailgating party Saturday.
The bearded 55-year-old also plans to wear an eye patch and headscarf for his pirate get-up, in honor of Buffett’s first performance at Tinley Park’s amphitheater since moving his summer shows to Bridgeview’s Toyota Park in 2008.
His return couldn’t come soon enough for many Parrothead followers in Tinley Park, where the singer-songwriter’s beach-loving mantras are more than just words set to music.
“I’m very, very, very pleased that they’re back,” said Andrews, whose party starts at his home and then moves to the amphitheater for pre-show tailgating at 2 p.m. “We have been going to Toyota, but it has not been nearly as pleasant an experience as it was when they had it back here in Tinley.”
For years, Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band were a summer tradition in Tinley Park, visiting nearly annually for performances from 1995 to 2007. The town embraced his fans, known as Parrotheads, who dress in Hawaiian shirts, flip-flops and other beach-themed attire. The village even created an annual Buffett-inspired Caribbean Beach Block Party, an event that draws 20,000 a year.
But in 2008, the Buffett concert picked up and moved to Toyota Park. It returns Saturday to First Midwest Bank Amphitheater, where the singer is being welcomed back with open arms.
“He does have a special thing with Tinley Park, whether he realizes it or not,” said downtown business owner Richard Vuillaume.
The town’s hotel rooms are booked, and police and downtown merchants are ready for Buffett’s rabid fans and the party and economic boon that always accompany him.
“That’ll probably be our biggest show of the season,” said Mayor Ed Zabrocki, who plans on wearing his own shark hat to the tailgating that precedes every Buffett concert.
Buffett’s last Tinley Park show in 2007 was sold-out, but the concert is remembered for long lines, traffic jams and poor accommodations for ticket holders. Local officials said they don’t know why Buffett left for Toyota Park in 2008 or why he is returning to the Tinley Park amphitheater this year. Buffett’s management company and publicist did not return calls seeking an explanation.
Jean Motal, 59, and her husband, John, were disappointed when Buffett moved his concert to Bridgeview. The Chicago Parrot Head Club members never missed a Buffett show when they lived in Tinley Park and were sorry to see the party go elsewhere.
“It hit them hard when he pulled out of Tinley Park,” she said, referring to lost business for hotels near the theater.
Even though Buffett has been absent from Tinley Park for the last four summers, the village has kept its own fiesta going. Now in its 14th year, the Caribbean Beach Block Party, held on the third Sunday in July, draws thousands every year and is one of the town’s biggest events, officials said.
“Our windows are already decorated promoting the block party, so we’ll be ready” for Buffett, said Mike Clark, owner of Ed & Joe’s restaurant in downtown Tinley Park.
The downtown party grew out of the buzz from both residents and out-of-towners who showed up each summer for Buffett’s shows, said Vuillaume, who helped create the street festival.
“You could go anywhere in town and see all these tents set up with artificial fins that people would make,” Vuillaume said. “They go wild over this guy.”
The large crowds mixed with all-day drinking means Tinley Park police plan to be out in full force Saturday. Cmdr. Steve Vaccaro said Buffett’s is the only concert at the theater where tailgating has been allowed.
The amphitheater’s afternoon tailgating start time has long vexed Parrotheads, who like to get their party started early.
“I don’t find First Midwest to be a very fan-friendly venue,” said Karen Boylan, 39, a longtime officer with the Chicago Parrot Head Club, who said she and some other members plan to skip the concert.
Her fellow club members who do plan to attend are having their own tailgating party at a nearby forest preserve earlier in the day to circumvent the 2 p.m. start time.
Dan Mueller, president of the new North Central Illinois ParrotHead Club, said he prefers First Midwest’s venue because its lawn seating offers a fitting atmosphere for Buffett fan camaraderie.
“It’s almost like a Woodstock type of thing,” the 44-year-old Mazon resident said. “It’s people you don’t even know with your arms around each other, singing and dancing. That’s why I like Tinley.”
