tiki bar tailgate ~ 2012

Weather, tailgates and concerts are fickle things. They can be disappointing, enjoyable or absolutely great ~ but usually the elements that make the difference are out of your control. I have to say this year’s Jimmy Buffett concert was a home run on all fronts ~ the weather, tailgate and concert were all outstanding!

First, the concert ~ I’ve been to a lot of Buffett shows and this was the BEST EVER, in my experience. It was the 4th show in the LOUNGING AT THE LAGOON tour, and Bubba was in rare form. He always puts on a good show, but this night he was having a great time on stage. A 27 song concert, with a surprise appearance by Zac Brown on KNEE DEEP and A PIRATE LOOKS AT FORTY, and a great acoustic set. SOUTHERN CROSS acoustic version, just ~ wow.

Second, the weather ~ usually these concerts (or anything in the south in the summer) are sweltering. This night was the rare exception; it was PERFECT WEATHER! Low 70’s, with a breeze! Even JB commented on it, asking “who ordered up this weather, because it’s fantastic!”.

And, the tailgate ~ with the perfect weather we were already ahead of the game :-). But, there are so many other tailgate variables ~ parking (nose in or out?) ~ the lot itself (gravel, asphalt, grass field?) ~ neighbors (rowdy or friendly, hopefully not obnoxiously drunk) ~ and quickly figuring out the set up can be pretty interesting. I take more stuff than needed if I know we will be improvising on the spot. We always need seating, shade and service set up for food ~ but each spot is something different. The traffic, parking and random assortment of lots around the amphitheater at Lakewood make it a different challenge every time ~ it’s not my favorite place to tailgate. Last year between the heat and the dust, we ended up in the truck bed!

This year luck of the draw got us a workable parking spot, with friendly neighbors and great weather! A tailgate trifecta :-). So, out came the umbrella, chairs and picnic table in the open space between rows in front of the parked vehicles ~ and our tiki bar sign, of course.

We had plenty of time to eat, drink and people watch. Of course we had the CORDLESS Margaritaville Frozen Concoction Maker ~ basically a nicad battery operated power tool that makes drinks.

It was barely on the table before a couple of guys came over to see how it works. And it worked great for frozen strawberry margaritas and minty mojitos!

Here are some shots of the tailgate plates, and the most awesome brownies ever. This is a Deen Brothers recipe ~ tollhouse cookie layer with caramel, and brownie layer with toasted pecans. We shared them with our tailgate neighbors.

When we got back to the truck after the concert and were waiting in the AC for some traffic to clear from the lot while we listened to the re-broadcast on RadioMargaritaville, one of our neighbors came by to knock on the window and ask if there were “any of those awesome brownies leftover to share?” As the brownies had gone bye-bye before the show, our neighbor had to manage her munchies on her own.

It was a great show, fantastic weather and a fun tailgate.  There are lots more pictures on the bluwaterlife Facebook page.  We have friends coming over in a few days for cocktails and appetizers, and then a bit later this month we head to the FL Keys for vacation! I love summer, and the stretch from Memorial Day to Independence Day this year is shaping up to be a great run :-).

Let’s GO!!! Bluwatergal