PH of NC’s
ISLAND TIMES
June 2012
““TIMES YOU DON’T REMEMBER WITH FRIENDS YOU CAN’T FORGET!”
Your Administrative Board!
Operations Chairperson:
Art Markart
Communications Chairperson:
Bruce “Doc” Crandall
Membership/Merchandise Chairperson:
Tim Knobeloch
Events /Activities Chairperson:
Cindy Morgan
Finance Chairperson:
Paul Eberle
Club members may submit photos and articles of
concerts, events or just about everything else Buffettesque for the newsletter.
Questions?... Answers? More information is at our
website www.PHofNC.com.
Meetings are the second Saturday of the
month and held at Rally Point Sport Grill, 1837
N Harrison Ave. Cary, NC
The Island Times is a monthly publication of the
Parrot Heads of North Carolina Parrothead Club
(PH of NC) a chartered chapter of Parrot Heads
in Paradise (PHiP), the officially sanctioned
organization blessed by the man himself; Jimmy
Buffett.
PH of NC is not affiliated with Jimmy Buffett,
Margaritaville, Mailboat Records or any of JB’s
endeavors.
So There.
Message from The Boss:
WOW, what a week! The club had 20 members attend the Buffett concert in
Charlotte on June 9. Most of the members attended the pre-concert party hosted
by the Charlotte club and everyone enjoyed the big tailgate party.
This past Saturday, 21 club members woke up early, very early,for Parrot Heads,
and headed to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at Meredith College. We
even had three runners (Qiunn George, Angie and Duane Teston). The rest of the
team walked the 3.1 miles with our Hawaiian shirts and listened to Buffett on the
boom box. We had a tremendous time and shared a lot of laughs and more good
times together. I'd like to thank our team captains for this event; Ginny and
LaRue did a great job, and the club raised $1,630.00. Outstanding job ladies!
Along with the Hawaiian shirts, talk focused on going with coconut bras as well
next year...
The club meeting and social held later that day was outstanding. We had over 70
members, 'keets and 2 or 3 friend show up. Special notice goes to long time
members David and Kiddy Hall, who jumped in the car for a road trip down from
Virginia. It was great to see them. It was fantastic to have such a large turnout. As
usual we hold a 50/50 at all the meetings with half the money going to Make-AWish. We had a pot of $142.00. The winner of the 50/50 was Tracy and David
Maucher, who in turn gave the money back to Make-A-Wish.
Thanks, Tracy and David!
I'm thrilled to say that more than half the club attended at least one event this
week...and 13 members achieved the Triple Crown yesterday - the Walk, the
meeting and the social. Way to go Team Parrot Heads!
Please help out the club for the "MargaRALEIGHville" event on June 30. Donate
your time, or any items for the raffle, like gift baskets, tickets & gift cards. All the
proceeds go directly to Make-A-Wish of Eastern Carolina. Contact Cindy Morgan
at ph4fun2@yahoo.com to volunteer. Join the fun and help make a difference.
Thank you......Art Markart
Making a BIG Difference at the Susan G.
Komen Race for the Cure
The Parrot Head team organizers, Ginny Markart and LaRue Mills, along with their cooperative spouses, Art and
Jim, left Fuquay Varina in the almost wee hours, after a night of celebrating LaRue & Jim’s daughter’s birthday!,
and began setting-up at Meredith College at 6:30am. Setting-up? 6:30 am? Why so early for a race that didn’t
start until 8:45? …because the Parrot Heads of North Carolina WON space in Team Town, an area by the
Meredith College amphitheater. Another “why?” PHofNC received this honor because, as a team, members
collected the highest amount of money per member among all other community organization participating. It’s
important to note that the team consisted of just 10 members at the time, the minimum number to actually
qualify as a TEAM.
The other participants started arriving at 7:20am, and, by race time, there were 21 participants in one form or
another. Three actually RAN the 5K (denoted below by an *), and 14 walked in Hawaiian shirts, with a boom box
playing Buffett music. “Parrot Heads” actually received recognition, both coming and going, as we crossed
start/finish line carrying signs with the club logo, showing exceptional enthusiasm if a media photo op seemed
possible. While people did take picture of the members as they trekked the 3.1 hilly mile course, what they will
do with it is anyone’s guess. Some of the personal photos taken during the race are included here.
So, what was the end result? (Drum roll, please) The Parrot Heads of North Carolina raised $1, 630.00, for the
2012 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. This amount includes the $100 the club pledged at the January
meeting. Because of their OUTSTANDING fundraising abilities, Jim & LaRue Mills were presented with the Plastic
Palm Tree Award at the business meeting later that afternoon. They were personally responsible for helping to
raise $705 of that $1,610 total!
The hearty souls who comprised the Parrot Heads of North Carolina team are Laura Abernathy, Jackie Carter,
‘Keet Sara Carter - Jackie’s daughter, Jodi Felton, Tracy Thomas - a friend of Jackie & Jodi’s and a POTENTIAL
member, Jim Haygood, Deanna Harvell, Cindy Morgan, Duane Teston*, Angie Teston*, Tracy Maucher, Jim Mills,
LaRue Mills, Art Markart, Ginny Markart, and Laura-Leigh Roulette. L-L’s girls were away at camp, so she joined
the team but took advantage of the “sleep-in” option at registration. That means she signed up, paid her $30
registration fee (and more), but never intended to actually show up to run/walk. On the way to the starting line,
Kathy George and Quinn George* fell in line with the rest of the team.
Three other PHofNC members who deserve recognition because they provided support by manning that display
table mentioned earlier are Tim Knobeloch, Vonne Knobeloch and Scotty Luck. Although no new club members
were recruited on the spot, lots of business cards were handed out to the crowd, and ya’ never know!
While there is another long list of family and friends who donated to the team or individual member’s goals,
special thanks goes to thank PHofNCers who also supported the cause financially. They are Mitch Briggs, Ellen
Andrews, Howie Hink, David Mausher, Tim & Vonne Knobeloch, and Jane Bailey & Cindy Williams.
Fortunately, no one who participated in the PH group is a cancer survivor, but all survived the heat, the
sweat and the distance.
Plans are already being discussed for next year, and the organizers intend to include coconut bras as
part of the PH attire during the 2013 race! EVERY Parrot Head of North Carolina member is invited to
participate, as it’s just not the same without you!
MargaRaleighville Donation Letter!
Just Copy & Paste!
Parrot Heads of North Carolina
P.O. Box 487, Fuquay Varina, NC 27526
To Whom It May Concern,
The Parrot Heads of North Carolina (PHofNC) is a 501-c-7 regional group of Parrot Heads belonging to the
national organization, Parrot Heads in Paradise, Inc. (PHiP), a not-for-profit (501-c-3) organization. PHiP
consists of over 250 member clubs (and growing!) in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Our motto is we “party
with a purpose,” and we pride ourselves on providing a variety of social activities for those interested in the music
and tropical lifestyle of Jimmy Buffett, while engaging in activities that are charitable, educational and promote
the general welfare of our community. Our website is www.phofnc.com, and our activities and specific charitable
interests are noted there.
The purpose of this letter is to request your support for our upcoming fundraiser on behalf of the Make a Wish
Foundation of Eastern North Carolina. Scheduled for June 30, 2012, from 3 until 11 pm, we are hosting
Welcome to MargaRALEIGHville at Rally Point Sports Grill, 1837 N. Harrison Ave., Cary, NC 27513. During a
day filled with live music, we also will hold a silent auction and raffles.
We are hoping you will like to help us make a difference. Specifically, we are looking to you for a donation of a
raffle item or event tickets that we can include in our auction. In turn, we will acknowledge your contribution by
including your business card, along with any additional business information you would like to have displayed,
with the item.
You are also welcome to include additional business cards for general distribution to interested participants. Your
business name and location will also be included in our July monthly newsletter.
Any donation should be credited to the Make-A-Wish Foundation®.
I look forward to hearing from you about what you able to donate, and thank you in advance for your support.
Sincerely,
Art Markart
Director ofOperations
Parrot Heads of North Carolina
Cindy Morgan
Director of Events and Activities
Parrot Heads of North Carolina
The Parrot Heads of NC Paddle in the Lake 2012!
Please bring your whole family and come join us for a fun filled day at Falls Lake! Picnic
Shelter (with restrooms), grills, a big sandy beach, and plenty of water awaits. The swim area
has a nice sandy bottom and is in perfect view from the picnic shelter.
When: Sunday, July 15th
Time: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm (or you can stay later if you like)
Where: Sandling Beach Recreation Area at Falls Lake, SHELTER # 4.
What to bring:
Come as if you were going to the beach… beach chairs, beach games, water toys, and towels.
Pack a picnic lunch for your family, and if you would like, you can bring a side dish, appetizer,
or desert to share. We will fire up the big charcoal grills around 12:15 and you can cook your
own hot dogs, hamburgers, or anything else you would like to bring. We will have one main
table in the front of the shelter designated for “sharing” food items. Bring your beverages of
choice for your family as well (please note that this is a State Park area and alcoholic
beverages cannot be visible at any time).
If you have a boat, we are at the “boat beach” not the main “swim beach” area at Sandling
Beach. Let me know and I can give you directions how to get there from the water and you
can pull right up on the beach where we are…
Please RSVP to (not required, but just to get an idea of how many we will have):
Laura-Leigh Rowlette laura.leigh@duke.edu or 554-0655 evenings
Directions: From I-540. Take the Creedmore Rd/Hwy 50 exit and go NORTH on Creedmore
Rd. You will cross under Hwy 98 and continue North on Creedmore Rd/Hwy 50 for at least 3
more miles. You will see the Sandling Beach Recreation Entrance on your left. Turn in there
and follow the map below to SHELTER # 4 near BOAT BEACH.
PLEASE NOTE, THERE IS A $6.00 ENTRY FEE PER CAR TO GET INTO THE STATE
RECREATION PARK. THERE WILL BE A PARK RANGER TAKING MONEY AT THE
ENTRANCE STATION ONCE YOU TURN OFF CREEDMORE RD.
Other Info:
Dogs must be on a leash of no longer than 6 ft at all times and pet owners are responsible for
cleaning up after their pets.
Alcoholic beverages are prohibited (cannot be visible at any time).
Ultimate Jimmy Buffett Fan Gets Sneak Peek
at Rehearsal
By Ken Hoffman, Houston Chronicle
Monday I had total access to Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band's final rehearsal before their
2012 Lounging at the Lagoon tour starts in The Woodlands. The band began practicing two weeks
ago in an empty warehouse near Austin. It was the first time an outsider was invited to a full-blown
rehearsal. Here's what I heard and saw….
Technicians and crew arrived around 9 a.m. The stage had been set up since the start of rehearsals.
It is the stage that Buffett will take on the road. The warehouse, front to back, was turned into a
concert venue, complete with props, soundboard, lighting and video production areas and upstairs
catering. The only thing missing was an audience. The place was eerily quiet.
If you weren't essential to the show, you had no business being there. There was a 6-foot-10 scary
man at the door to keep out intruders.
Bicycles were leaned against aisle railings. The crew needs bikes to get around. There was a
portable golf driving range at the back of the house. Tuesday was a day off. It sounded like
everybody was planning to play 18.
Although the floor and seats were empty, the warehouse was decked out for a packed concert.
Chaise lounges and "Lounging at the Lagoon" signs were set up outside the entrances for fans'
photo opportunities. Pretty girls will be there to keep the line moving. The photo ops and chaise
lounges were Buffett's idea.
I learned that practically everything you see at a Jimmy Buffett concert was Buffett's idea. He's the
boss, and everybody in the warehouse - 11 Coral Reefers, the lighting crew, six video technicians,
four sound guys, two costume coordinators, two large security men, tour manager, accountant, IT
wizard, Radio Margaritaville disc jockey, stage decorator and even the guy who runs onstage to
hand guitars to Buffett - knows it. He's Bubba.
The band began playing at 3:30 p.m. without Buffett. It did a jazzy song called "Give Henry the
Receipt," written and performed by backup singer Nadirah Shakoor, and dedicated to Buffett's tour
accountant Henry Rosquette. He was there, too.
"I handle anything involving money," Rosquette said. "I give out the per diems. I pay security. I rent
the facility. I pay the caterer and the light bill. I'm petty cash. I'm basically the payroll department."
Buffett arrived a few minutes later, wearing a white baseball cap, aviator sunglasses, white T-shirt,
pink shorts and flip-flops. He headed straight to video production. The entrance was his idea, which
has tricky special effects. He watched every inch of tape.
Buffett removed his cap and sunglasses, kicked off his flip-flops and climbed onstage at 4 p.m.
The video wall behind the band comprises 96 big-screen televisions. The stage is decorated to look
like a lagoon. Buffett's usual coconut trees are replaced by swamp grass and hanging cypress trees.
The rehearsal lasted about three hours, lengthened by cutting up between songs, Buffett banter and
an occasional blooper. Buffett couldn't get the beginning notes of "Jolly Mon" right, before
realizing he had grabbed the wrong guitar.
Buffett wasn't happy with the video that accompanied "Come Monday." He told the video producer,
"I have some newer video I shot last year in Montana on my bicycle and on a horse. Let's use that.
Trust me, it will work better."
They did several takes of "Cheeseburger in Paradise" because Buffett wants to include "Na na na na
na" from "Land of 1,000 Dances" before the "I like mine with lettuce and tomato" chorus.
He played 25 songs. This was the concert.
After the rehearsal, in the warehouse garage, I got a chance to talk to Buffett.
"This band has been with you for 24 years, a few of the guys even longer. You've been doing some
of these songs for 40 years. Do you really need to rehearse them?"
Buffett said, "Rehearsal is very important. I do some new songs with each tour, and we need to
learn them. Plus, I like to put some fresh paint on other songs. I'm going to write new verses to
'Margaritaville.' But mostly, we rehearse to give fans the best show we can. It's why we're still
doing this 40 years later. There's a right way to do things, and that requires rehearsing. We respect
the audience. It's just how this band does things.
"It's like what we're doing with 'Cheeseburger in Paradise.' I got the idea in my head a few days ago
to put part of 'Land of 1,000 Dances' in there. Now it's 'Land of 1,000 Cheeseburgers.' We needed to
rehearse that."
Coleman Sisson, who manages Radio Margaritaville for Buffett, put it this way: "Jimmy likes a
professional atmosphere. That takes work."
Sisson lives in The Woodlands. He put a good word in for me; that's how I was invited to
the rehearsal.
Everything about a Buffett concert looks casual, but nothing is left to chance. You think Buffett
rolls out of bed, throws on a T-shirt and shorts, and plays in front of 17,000 people?
Helen Hiatt has been his wardrobe designer for 21 years. She buys his T-shirts from a store in Palm
Beach. They're adult large.
"I dye them myself," Hiatt said. "They have a nice fit. Jimmy doesn't like them baggy, so when he
changes guitars, his T-shirt doesn't move around and look sloppy. The T-shirts are 100-percent
cotton, but they don't shrink. The neck and arm holes are very tight, so he's comfortable. I get him
five T-shirts before each tour. After a concert, I just send them to a local 'Fluff 'n' Dry' laundry
service to have them cleaned. We don't do anything special with them."
Hiatt also has designed stage outfits for Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul. She created the butt-less
pants for Prince. She won an Emmy Award for her work with Cher.
Buffett has never had a wardrobe malfunction.
"When people find out I do the clothes for Jimmy, they ask, 'Oh, you buy his T-shirts and shorts?' I
say, 'Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do.' I've worked with a lot of entertainers. Jimmy is the best. It's
been 21 years, and I still look forward to the call that we're going on tour."
Buffett rehearsed in Austin because he has friends in the area and he likes the restaurants. The
warehouse air conditioner was cranking full blast. It was about 60 degrees. Radio Margaritaville
deejay Kirsten Winquist sat in the row in front of me. She rubbed her hands to stay warm. Buffett
hired her six years ago straight out of Florida State University.
"I will be at The Woodlands concert. Jimmy puts every one of his concerts live on
www.radiomargaritaville.com, and I'll be doing a show before the concert," she said.
At 7 p.m., Buffett did his last encore and announced, "That's a wrap."
Immediately, stagehands began tearing down the stage and loading 500 cases of equipment onto a
fleet of 18-wheeler trucks headed to The Woodlands - for the start of another Jimmy Buffett
summer tour.
Jimmy Buffett to Record New Album This Year
by Gary Graff, Billboard Magazine
Buffett tells Billboard.com that he's "got a lot of songs this year" to record "I'm happy with the
material 'cause I've been working at it for a while," Buffett says, detailing songs such as "Useless
and Important Information," which is "in the running for the album title," as well as "Einstein Was
a Surfer," "I Want to Go Back to Cartagena" and "Clueless People in a 'Fraidy Cat World."
Buffett adds. "I'm excited about it, and (the material) is kinda piling up on us here, so I'm ready to
go back in." Buffett has "written most of this stuff myself," though he's also worked with Mac
McAnally and Will Kimbrough and has composed a song with Jerry Jeff Walker's son Django.
Buffett is considering a number of studios to work on the project, including his own Shrimp Boat
facility in Key West, Fla., as well as EMI's Abbey Road studio and Mark Knopfler's British Grove
Studios, both in West London, England. "I want to go in and do it together as a band," Buffett says.
"We normally do that anyway, but then people are busy and have to go out and someone's usually
phoning in a part from somewhere. This time I'd like to the whole thing all together... I started
thinking, 'Do I really want to go in and make a record or do I want to just put a few (songs) out. I
thought maybe I'd go in and do four or something, and then I said, 'Nah. I like going in the studio
with my band, and it can be an experience."
Buffett is already part of a No. 1 album this year, having joined Lionel Richie for "All Night Long" on
"Tuskegee". Buffett recalls. "I was playing frat parties and the Commodores were working colleges
as well. We weren't friends or anything, but we certainly were crossing paths.
So when I met him when we were working on ('Tuskegee') we kinda went back to some of those
funnier times. He's a delightful guy. I think we got the song in like two takes, and it was so much
fun doing it." He also returned to his roots recently to open a waterfront Margaritaville Casino and
Restaurant in Biloxi, Miss. -- the city where, he notes, "was the first place I ever made a dollar
professionally." "Actually growing up down there, it's a big part of my family history and musical
history," Buffett explains. "And then you throw in a couple of hurricanes and an oil spill...I care
enough about this place to have wanted to do something to help recover from those things, and
that's how (the casino) came about."
What to Do… What to Do…
6/23 P3 “Phlamingos & Phun!”with Robin Wagner
7/15 Paddle in the Lake
7/21 Durham Bulls Game, Tix $15 each, contact Cindy for tickets
Next meeting will be 8/7
Next P3 with Mike Gomez on 8/24
9/8 End of Year to Party P3 with the Perillos
And now a word from our sponsors…