Parrot Heads in Paradise

Wasted away took on new meaning at the Jimmy Buffett concerts Friday and Saturday at Irvine Meadows. Devoted fans--they call themselves Parrot Heads--created elaborate tropical paradises in the parking lot to kick-start the concert craziness. But unlike other fans--whom Matt Curto, the vice president of operations at Irvine Meadows, didn’t want to name--Parrot Heads pick up their trash when they’re done.

Tailgate party-goers downed beer, margaritas and other blended, beachy drinks requiring umbrellas while lounging on hauled-in sand, shaded by thatched huts and surrounded by stuffed fish. One fan, in ode to Buffett’s “Volcano” song, brought in a handmade blaster that drew applause.

Buffett, best know for his “Margaritaville” song, spouts tropical settings and a laid-back lifestyle in his music. His fans, who dress in Hawaiian shirts, grass skirts, flip-flops and shark hats, fell into the dude groove but snapped back into solid citizens before they exited the amphitheater’s grounds.

“When you have 15,000 people coming to a venue and tailgating, you’ve got to be prepared for cleanup,” says Curto, “but with these two sold-out shows, nothing was left behind. When I walked the parking lot, I saw garbage bags and trash cans being used. “These fans are pretty good at cleaning up after themselves. By 2 a.m., our crew was through hand picking up bottles and cans and sweeping the lot.”

Come Monday, there was no trace of makeshift Margaritavilles.