A Little Less Partying for Parrotheads

We’re simply shocked to learn that some of Jimmy Buffett’s party-hearty fans overdid it a bit last year when their bon-vivant hero threw his annual bash at Irvine Meadows.

With Buffett about to arrive for sold-out shows, Oct. 25-26, venue management aims to moderate the carousing of Parrotheads--as Buffett fans proudly dub themselves--by barring them from the premises until a civilized hour for tippling.

“None of this coming in at 11 a.m. and being drunk by 1,” vowed Matt Curto, Irvine Meadows’ director of operations. He outlined a plan to postpone entry to the parking lot until 3 p.m.--still two hours earlier than the usual opening for an 8 p.m. show, Curto noted, so Irvine Meadows can’t be accused of total insensitivity to Buffett lovers’ need for pre-concert bonding rituals and attitude adjustments.

Last year, Curto said, early-arriving revelers sprawled their celebrations all over the parking lot; as show time neared, attendants didn’t have enough room to squeeze in all the cars.

“They’ll come with a motor home; they’ll set out beach chairs and umbrellas; people will even dump sand and create their own beach,” Curto said. This year, security crews will try to tighten party perimeters, preventing parking obstructions. Those who want to create instant beaches will find their options limited, Curto said: “There’s a dirt area adjacent to the fence line. They can dump it over there.”

Nellie Carlen, president of the Orange County Parrothead Club, said Buffett fans will shift the early festivities to Sloppy Joe’s in the nearby Irvine Spectrum, complete with Buffett-style cover bands. She hopes to set up a shuttle-bus service between the club and the venue.

“Our first reaction was, ‘What are they doing to us? This is going to screw us up.’ The parking lot party is, like, 50% of the thing, and to some people it’s more than that,” Carlen said. “But we’ll make the best of it. [Five hours for tailgate partying] is still a long time, and a lot of venues nationwide don’t open till 6, so we consider ourselves lucky.”

Still, Carlen said, Irvine Meadows may find itself with “a real mess” on its hands when some fans turn up early and raring to party, despite the 3 p.m. opening time printed on their tickets.