Buffett is still the life of this party

Reprinted from late editions of yesterday's Globe.

MANSFIELD - The gates of the Comcast Center opened at 7 last night, but the parking lot was open for tailgating at 11 in the morning. Who else could be in town but Jimmy Buffett? Faced with the choice of the Republican convention or the mayor of Margaritaville's annual visit, the sold-out crowd picked the latter. Both were headlined by bald mavericks with the ocean in their veins; it didn't even take much squinting for Buffett to look like the other guy, the T-shirt, shorts, and bare feet notwithstanding.

There were even plenty of exuberant 40-something women ready to stand by his side, though the vibe was about as far from Alaska as could be. The island-themed stage was even appropriate for Buffett's announcement that today's show (also sold out) was being moved up to 3 p.m. to account for the possibility of stormy weather washing out an evening concert. (Parking lots will open at 8 a.m. and doors at 2 p.m.) Of course Buffett wouldn't let a hurricane get in the way of a party.

He got plenty of carousing in Thursday night just in case. Opener "Homemade Music" was like Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Run Through the Jungle" converted into a party song, and Buffett kept the festivities moving with the swinging Dixieland stomp of "Pencil Thin Mustache" and the country sass of "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere."

But during songs like "Cheeseburger in Paradise," the sanitized cajun romp "Gypsies in the Palace," and a cover of "Brown Eyed Girl" that seemed to have all of the ebullience drained out of it, Buffett and a group whose numbers spilled into the double digits seemed like the cheesiest bar band in existence. Buffett was more a good-time facilitator than a musician.

Hints of something more popped up from time to time. Stripping to a four-piece - two acoustic guitars, two percussionists - Buffett had nothing to hide behind on "Come Monday" and "Jolly Mon Sing," both of which held up well. Other songs, such as "A Pirate Looks at 40," "Son of a Son of a Sailor," and Crosby, Stills & Nash's "Southern Cross," showed sides more thoughtful than simply boozing and hooking up.

Then there was the jazzy, minor-key "Tiki Bar Is Open," punctuated by Dave Lovell's Miles Davis-style trumpet, a neat little gem that subtly raised the question of what Buffett might do if he temporarily abandoned his longtime M.O., limited himself to a handful of musicians, and played more intimate venues. It would be a far cry from Margaritaville, but it would reveal a side of the singer that's been long overlooked.

Then again, does it matter at this point? Buffett's shows have taken on a life of their own, so much so that he's almost as much a simple cog in the machine as the Parrotheads who await his arrival every summer.

"I accept the nomination!" Buffett declared early on, ignoring the fact that he'd already taken office.