The Buffett Lot Nap
I'm searching for the spirit of the great heart
My 2003 Jimmy Buffett indoctrination happened at Great Woods, and I’m lucky to have that show immortalized on the Live in Mansfield release. Without hyperbole, I can say my most memorable concert moment was the start of that show. I wasn’t familiar with Jimmy’s music, maybe a song here and there. But that night, he opened with “Great Heart,” a song by Johnny Clegg & Savuka who I had listened to a lot in high school. I lost my shit and was singing along in full voice. The folks in the Buffett crew were befuddled. “I thought you didn’t know his music,” I can remember someone saying. “This is Johnny fucking Clegg!” or similar, was my response. Naturally, I was instantly hooked by Jimmy’s appreciation for choosing an amazing, fairly obscure, on-brand song to cover. It was a synchronistic moment to have that song as an opener at my first show, and from that day forward, I was a Parrothead.
That show was also the start of my Buffett lot nap tradition. As memorialized in the accompanying picture, I had a great nap that first year, and it seems to have come about while I was snacking on a strawberry. That satisfying nap inspired me to ensure I took a short nap at each subsequent Buffett – I wanted to enjoy the lot, but also have the energy to sing along later that evening. In most years, I managed to lose consh for at least 10-15 mins, but remember not being able to do so at my final concert in 2021. Perhaps it was prescient and my mind wanted to enjoy the lot for as long as possible, one last time. Thank you for all the memories and naps, Jimmy.
