Exit to Margaritaville

—Garratt Wilkin

Garratt Wilkin figures his band was averaging 10 to 15 requests for Jimmy Buffett songs a night when, in 1999, an agent asked Wilkin to cover for a Buffett tribute band whose singer had blown his vocal chords. The Whiskey Ducks became the Parrotheads, and the Northern California-based band made the tropics their musical home.

The band has ranged from a six-piece core to a 13-member ensemble including steel drums, a horn section and pedal steel guitar. The larger group is reminiscent of Buffett’s own band, the Coral Reefers. Wilkin expects to bring an eight-piece band for the Rollin’ on the River concert. Regardless of headcount, the group delivers a polished performance of Buffett classics combined with the mischievous sense of fun ingrained in the music.

“We go everywhere Jimmy Buffett doesn’t,” says Wilkin. The band tours county fairs and festivals throughout the Western United States, as well as tour dates as far as Florida and Alaska. They draw enthusiastic crowds, especially in Buffett’s former tour haunts in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming—smaller venues that haven’t hosted a Jimmy Buffett concert since the 1970s.

“Going to a Jimmy Buffett concert is like a mini vacation,” says Wilkin. “The fans are as much a part of the show as the music.”

The tailgate preparations are often elaborate, with fans hauling in blenders, barbecues, even sand and jacuzzis. The band played at the MGM as part of a Jimmy Buffett pre-concert party in 2005.

“The audience is every bit as entertaining as the show with perpetual motion between Jimmy Buffett and his fans,” Wilkin noted.

The Buffett fan base extends beyond a random bunch of Hawaiian shirt-clad folks who like to party. Wilkin estimates there are 200-300 Parrot Head clubs nationwide. Their credo, “Party with a Purpose,” combines charitable works with a good time. Their annual meeting in Key West, Fla., features its own music awards for Trop Rock, and it celebrates its 20th year in November.

Wilkin donated his original “Gumbo Rock Pirate” to the Northwest Arkansas Parrot Head club for their compilation album Tropical Soup Volume I. The CD is sold wholesale to Parrot Head clubs, who sell it as a charitable fundraiser. The cool blend of harmonica, keyboard, guitar and steel drums, paired with Wilkin’s smooth vocals pays homage to Buffett and the free-spirited dreamers who populate his music.

In addition to the music, Wilkin says part of the joy of the Parrot Head universe is sharing stories with other musicians and fans. Wilkin spotted a familiar figure dressed in a Dodger Blue Coral Reefer jacket standing in line for the bar during a Warren Zevon concert in Los Angeles.

“Hey Jimmy,” Wilkin shouted.

“Hi. Do I know you?”

“No, but I’ve bought tickets for all four of your shows,” Wilkin replied.

Many years later, his keyboard player, Jay Spell, who performed with Buffett on his Son of a Sailor album, wore an identical tour jacket to practice. When an incredulous Wilkin asked Spell where he got the jacket, the musician, who was blind since birth, simply replied “My closet.” Spell personally introduced Wilkin to Buffett in 2004. Wilkin shared his favorite Parrot Head anecdote at Spell’s memorial service last year.

In addition to a full summer concert schedule, a CD of Buffett tunes is currently in the works, as well as a separate album featuring original tracks. Wilkin hopes to have the Buffett CD to press by July. He says that with the band members spread throughout Northern and Southern California and Reno, and the current tour schedule, it’s tough to assemble the whole crew together in the studio.

“Looking forward to being in Reno,” Wilkin says of the upcoming gig. He says Reno was a frequent tour stop during the band’s early days, playing at venues like the Grand Sierra Resort and the Peppermill. Even in the high desert, with the music of Garratt Wilkin and the Parrotheads, fans can journey to the tropics—no plane tickets or passport required, just a license to chill.