Jimmy’s Buffet / Parrotheads Unite!

With more than 20 million albums sold, no other rock and roll musician represents summertime parties and fun on the water quite like Jimmy Buffet. With a devoted fanbase, aka Parrotheads, that rivals the Grateful Dead, it’s only natural that a tribute act would take shape. Such is the case with new combo, Jimmy’s Buffet, who perform at Fiesta del Sol on May 21.

Based in Carlsbad, the seven-piece band includes Chris Maddox (lead vocals) and Peter Hix (lead guitar), GD Dog Walker (bass), George Logemann (keyboards), Vasili Panos (drums), Ivan Rios (congas) and Jackie Powers.

Maddox is perhaps best known as the frontman for another tribute project, Graceland, in which he takes the part of Elvis Presley. What inspired Maddox to form a tribute band playing Jimmy Buffet music? “Great Story: I’ve been a Buffett fan since I was in college,” Maddox said. “He was a mainstay at literally every party we went to or hosted. We went to countless concerts, once three in four days. Lots of drinking & carousing. So, I’m in my bed, late at night, current day, thinking of what I can do next. I’m 50 and doing Elvis in the jumpsuit and wig is literally killing me, it’s very physical.” He also considered that he had “done it a while and it wasn’t easy to book a 12-piece Elvis band. So, I’m listening to Jimmy on my headphones, while I was thinking of ideas: an 80s hip hop tribute called Word... an Buble type show called An Evening With... and as I’m thinking of them, I keep hitting ‘next’ on the stereo. Then Fins comes on. And I start doing the ‘fins to the left’ move in bed... and it strikes me. I gotta do Buffett! I love Buffett, I can sing it well, people will love it, Parrot Heads are great fans to appeal to as I am one.”

While Buffet’s big hits are all in the band’s repertoire, Jimmy’s Buffet does dig into his catalog as well. “Most of us live on Radio Margaritaville on Sirius,” Maddox noted. “We have a wide breadth of knowledge and go as deep as we reasonably can. A standard ninety-minute show has twenty songs, and we make sure they all play a role. Our job is to keep everyone entertained and dancing so we are very aware of that, ie: Jimmy can sing three to four slow songs at a concert, we will sing about one. We will add in some fun that Jimmy does not do as well. We serve the gods of being tight and fun, that’s our motto.”

Besides “Margaritaville,” what’s the biggest crowd pleaser in the band’s set? “Ha, you said it. Nothing tops the national anthem,” Maddox mused. “I think for sheer musicality its “Southern Cross.” It’s got it all: Rockin’ Beats, four-part harmonies, and a great sailing story. For sheer fun it’s gotta be “Fins.” We do both of them with a lot of flair and effects in concert, but I won’t spoil it, you gotta see us live.”

What’s Maddox’s favorite thing about playing with Jimmy’s Buffet? “’ We have a seven-piece band with a focus on making great rhythms, that are insanely in pocket, to drive a great Caribbean sound,” he said. “The show I put on is full of fun and showmanship, but this is the bedrock it is built on: quality musicians playing together.”

Even with some of his other band projects successes, Maddox consider Jimmy’s Buffet to be special. “I’m 50 years old and I’ve never had this much fun,” he said. “When you put a band together you take a lot of chances: who’s going to be in it? what are their needs? personalities? all that. I’ve been through it a lot and at some point the magic either happens, or it doesn’t. You have to let it go and see what comes back. In this case it all came back aces.” Maddox is thrilled with the band’s line up. “We knew and stumbled into great musicians, who are mature, been through it, and love Buffett,” he said. “My favorite part of playing with the band is that I’ve made six new friends that I would not otherwise know.” Maddox is looking forward to more gigs, more good times with Jimmy’s Buffet. “I’ve started a few bands, but I’ve never had this kind of reaction,” he remarked. “It speaks to the timeless quality of Jimmy, his music, and what he represents. A better life, a lot of chill, and being on the beach.” www.thejimmysbuffet.com

2 Guns Drawn / A Tale of Two Guns

Hip-hop duo 2 Guns Drawn recently released their debut album, A Tale of Two Guns, kicking off a new round of musical projects. Comprised of rappers Madd Joker and Majesty, aka J Knoll and Olivia Fentress, while the duo is just releasing new music, the two have long been a part of the local hiphop scene. “We have known and respected each other’s talents for decades,” Fentress said. “We dated as kids and years later reconnected and began dating again. I told him, we need to start a group and I named us 2 Guns Drawn.”

2 Guns Drawn has been together roughly three years. While A Tale of 2 Guns is their first release as a duo, “I would be amiss if I didn’t mention Madd Joker’s iconic catalog, which features “Death in the Arena,“ for which he won a SDMA, “Shootout in the Capital” and “

Represent the Struggle” to name a few. His skills drew me in, to him as a musical and romantic partner, he’s fire to me. I respect his expe- rience and what he brings to the table. He followed my early career as well, with my 2000 underground release, Princess Presents: Depths of the Underground. Our mutual love and respect, plus combined decades of musical experiences bring the razor-sharp skills, lyricism and chemistry we display as 2 Guns Drawn.”

According to Fentress the pair

“are inspired by the necessity for real voices to be heard in our genre. We are inspired by our history, culture and human experience. We grew up on artist like KRS 1, Run DMC, MC Lytle, King Yellowman, Michael Palmer etc. These artists represent the struggle and reality of life in their communities, and we strive to do the same. The change that music can bring and the unity that it can create inspires as well.”

Look for 2 Guns Drawn to play live shows throughout the summer, with new singles, “Count us out” featuring Louie Lecture, and “ Robots Attack,” due soon. What does Fentress enjoy most about being an musician? “Our favorite aspect about us being artists is that we both are a part of a movement in which we can serve a purpose for the planet, people’s enjoyment and enlightenment. It is a beautiful feeling that can’t be matched. To rock the mic while contributing to the betterment of humankind is what we both really live to do.”