Parrotheads and Sandlappers

So this is the thing. I have always been irritated by "Gulf and Western" singer Jimmy Buffett's broad stereotypes of the Caribbean. Palm trees and well-placed "yeah mon's" do not a culture make. Even though his music is acknowledged for its island escapism theme, the cheesy tropical rhythms and overly languid delivery just gets on my nerves. So it goes without saying that I never considered stepping foot in Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville restaurants. But there it was, the first item on my Myrtle Beach itinerary. It seems that Margaritaville is the anchor for the bustling Broadway on the Beach shopping district. And since the focus of my trip was family-friendly activities, Margaritaville apparently topped the list.




Here's the other thing. I love kitsch. Silly, tongue-in-cheek decor, childish and whimsical knick knacks, always make me smile. So when I was greeted by the swirling hurricane above (I thought it was a giant margarita since it was next to a giant blender) I knew I was bound for fun even if I had to listen to Jimmy Buffett tunes.



The place was packed with two- hour waits on a Monday night. And it wasn't tourists that jammed the spot, it was Sandlappers or native South Carolinians. Now what do Parrotheads (Jimmy Buffett fans) and Sandlappers have in common? It seems to be a love for a rowdy atmosphere and live music. The food at Margaritaville is mediocre at best, the real draw is the party theme.



There's a stage where groups perform pop classics, the hurricane that explodes with thunder and a forecast from the local meteorologist about a hurricane party warning and a giant screen that that flashes reggae videos and Jimmy Buffett performances.




I've never witnessed Parrothead behavior but when the video for "Margaritaville" played, I was granted the chance. It seems that the tune boasts rituals and accompaniments along the same line as Rocky Horror Picture Show. Women stand and wave for the "woman to blame" verse and the chorus of "searching for my lost shaker of salt" elicits deafening screams of "salt! salt! salt!"





My 12-year-old daughter was puzzled. The only thing she knew about Jimmy Buffett was that he sang "Caribbean Amphibian" (probably the only Buffett song I like) on Elmopalooza. She didn't get the Caribbean references that failed to connect with Buffett's Southern drawl and grizzly hippie appearance.
I don't either so I couldn't explain it to her.




What she most enjoyed were vintage Bob Marley videos of "One Love" and "Buffalo Soldier". She's heard the songs hundreds of times but never saw the footage of Bob singing them. Watching her eyes light up and sing along was worth all the corny Caribbean references and people wearing balloon parrot hats.