Margaritaville: In Ancaster

Category: Live Concerts

Jimmy Buffett did not set out to become the institution. He began as a songwriter moving through Nashville, then found his real voice in Key West in the 1970s, where the place itself gave shape to the songs. That stretch produced “Come Monday” in 1974, then “Margaritaville” in 1977, the record that turned Buffett from a cult favourite into a mainstream figure and eventually into something larger than that: a writer of songs people tied to travel, escape, boats, bars, weather, and a very particular American coastal imagination.

Brian Neale spent years as a solo artist performing his own material along with music by artists such as Jimmy Buffett and the Eagles, then formed Northern Harbour in 2003 with a group of like-minded musicians. Since then he has taken that music across the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, Australia, and New Zealand. He has also performed with Jimmy Buffett himself right here in Canada.

What Buffett understood, and what Northern Harbour clearly understands too, is that the songs have to feel like places. “Margaritaville,” “Come Monday,” “Fins,” and “Cheeseburger in Paradise” are tied to a lifestyle, but they last because Buffett was a strong songwriter underneath the image. The songs are relaxed, and full of characters, travel, jokes, and the sense that life ought to be enjoyed while it is in front of you. Grab your tropical shirt and start your summer off right!